


The Beast Within

by danigobingo



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Druid!Alex, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Jekyll and Hyde!Sam, Some Fluff, Some angst, Supernatural Elements, Vampire!Lena, Werewolf!Kara, Werewolf/Vampire AU, maybe some smut, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-05-13 07:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 41,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14744774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danigobingo/pseuds/danigobingo
Summary: Ever since Lex Luthor's descent into madness and the brutal murder of known werewolf Clark Kent, the Supernatural citizens of Metropolis have gone into hiding. Recently turned-vampire Lena Luthor has relocated to National City to escape her brother's shadow, but even there it follows her, with the citizens not trusting her despite being a Supernatural herself.Meanwhile, Kara Danvers, still reeling from the loss of her cousin, is struggling with what it means to be human and how to balance her Supernatural and human sides.After a chance meeting, the two will become friends to take on the prejudices of their society as well as Lex, who has recently escaped from prison with only one goal: to finish what he started.





	1. Full Moon

**Author's Note:**

> In the words of DJ Khaled, another one!
> 
> Welcome to my new story, friends! This one has been on my mind for a while, so I hope y'all enjoy it!
> 
> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori for reviewing this beforehand!

It was another quiet night in National City, the moon full and high in the sky, with nothing but the soft hums of car engines and the distant thumping of club music keeping Lena company as she worked on her latest project within her office. She enjoyed these kinds of nights; well, every night, really. She found them relaxing, the kind of thing to take her mind off her normally stressful days, but being a CEO of a multimillion-dollar company has always been a stressful job. It was the other things that stressed her out, the more…personal things. For starters, she was a vampire, and a recently turned one at that. Lena didn’t remember much from her Changing, only that she had crawled her way out of the ground with dirt in her mouth and a strong craving for blood. It had scared her at first, this new life, and she was scared at how her family would react. They didn’t take too kindly to Supernaturals, calling their existence “ungodly” and such. And for the first year, she was successful in keeping her new identity under wraps. But then, it all went downhill.

Lena decided to take a quick break from work and went over to pour herself a drink. She had an array of drinks on display: vodka, scotch, wine. But she needed something stronger tonight, so she pulled out a dark green bottle from the cabinet and poured a thick, dark red liquid into a wine glass. Lena welcomed the warm, coppery taste as it slid down her throat. She used to hate the taste of blood, but now she…tolerated it, to say the least, only seeing it as a means to her survival more than anything else. She still ate normal foods and could drink other alcoholic beverages, but their flavors were vastly toned down so Lena couldn’t enjoy them like she used to. What she wouldn’t give to eat a juicy burger now, and she didn’t even like burgers a whole lot.

The shrill ringtone of her cellphone nearly made Lena drop her drink. She really needed to silence it more often; you think four years of enhanced senses would’ve taught her that by now. Lena looked at the number on the screen, biting back a growl as she forcibly pressed “decline”. She took another gulp of blood, running a hand through her long dark hair, trying not to think about Lex but failing miserably. It had been three years since Lex had been arrested, his crimes against both humans and Supernaturals alike making him the stuff of legends. Lena always felt a pit form in her stomach whenever she thought about what her brother did. It was her fault, after all. The blood was on her hands just as much as it was on Lex’s. Ever since his rampage, Supernaturals have gone into hiding, some having to use glamours to pass themselves off as everyday humans. Lena was fortunate enough to not have to do that—the closest thing she came to doing it was buying colored contacts—but even so, no one outside of her family knew she was a Supernatural. Lena took another sip of blood. Maybe it was better this way.

After finishing her drink, Lena stepped outside onto the balcony, breathing in the stale, cold scents of the steel-lined city. This was probably the one thing she liked about National City: the nightlife. Something was always happening somewhere, someone was always doing something, no matter the hour, and Lena often found herself wishing that she could join in on the fun. In another life, she probably would, but her face was too recognizable at this point, so she kept to herself, isolated up in her ivory tower. She had been alone for a majority of her life, what’s an eternity?

Just as Lena was about to head back inside, a howl ripped through the city, sending a shiver down her spine. Lena knew that kind of howl, or at least it seemed very familiar. She tilted her head and focused her hearing when the howl sounded again, determining that the howl came all the way from Midvale. It made sense; Midvale had a lot more woods than National City. Either way, it was still strange to hear. Lena’s curiosity got the better of her, so she transformed into a bat and flew over to the small town.

Lena landed in a large tree in a dark patch of woods, looking around but seeing nothing. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe her ears were playing tricks on her. It wouldn’t be the first time. Then she saw it: a large creature sprinting through the forest, coming to a quick stop just below her. Her eyes widened at the sight. She couldn’t believe it.

It was a werewolf. A living, breathing _werewolf_.

Lena hadn’t seen one or heard about one since… she shook her head.

_Not now._

Lena leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the wolf. This wolf had dirty blonde fur, a lean figure, a small scar on its right eyebrow, and bright amber eyes. It also had a limp, due to its left front paw looking deformed. Despite that, Lena found it quite beautiful, unable to take her eyes off of the wolf as it maneuvered around the clearing sniffing the bushes. Lena couldn’t help but smile. The wolf looked so free. She wondered what it was like to run at full speed through the forest with no one around and without a care. Is that what being a Supernatural is supposed to entail? Lena sighed, but a little too loudly because now the wolf was looking directly at her.

Lena froze, the wolf’s amber eyes poring into her fake green ones like sunlight burning her skin. The wolf didn’t move, its muscled body wound like an iron spring. Lena waited with bated breath for the wolf to finally make a move, to leap up and rip her limb from limb, but it never did. Instead, the wolf’s eyes reverted back to what Lena assumed were their normal color: a bright, hypnotizing blue that rivaled the ocean. They were the most beautiful eyes Lena had ever seen, and she found herself wanting to get lost in them. The wolf’s breathing hitched, and it took off into the woods just as quickly as it came. Lena let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She was just face-to-face with a werewolf.

_She was just face-to-face with a werewolf!_

Lena didn’t know how she got back to her apartment, but she was now in her bathroom, splashing cold water on her face despite her body no longer being able to produce sweat. She took a few sharp intakes of oxygen, the air burning her lungs as she inhaled and tried to wrap her head around what just happened. She saw a werewolf, looked in its eyes, and didn’t die. Lena couldn’t help but laugh a little at the fact as she changed out of her dress and into some sweats, took out her green contact lenses revealing her crimson eyes, and climbed into bed just as the sun rose above the city skyline. She closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep, but her dreams were filled with blue eyes and the burning question if she was ever going to see them again.

\---------------------------------------------------------

The scalding water burned Kara’s skin as it rinsed off the dirt and grime from the previous night. Her entire body ached all over from the Shift, as it always does, but today there was a new ache and it came from within. Someone saw her last night in her wolf form. Someone out there knew what she was and that she existed. That much she knew for sure.

Whenever Kara Shifted, a lot of her memories are blurred together, making it hard for her to piece together what happened when she was in her wolf form. But she remembered one thing from last night: a pair of vivid, jade green eyes staring at her from the darkness.

The question was _who_ saw her. Werewolves weren’t exactly common nowadays, and ever since Clark was killed, her adoptive family had been trying to keep Kara and her secret on the down low. And sneaking out of the secureness of Eliza’s basement last night wasn’t the best way to do that.

Kara stayed in the shower for a few minutes longer, trying to postpone the inevitable confrontation between her and Eliza and Alex. Her skin was red and raw by the time she got out, so she quickly got ready for work, throwing on a dark button up shirt, some slacks, and a single black glove before fashioning her hair in an up-do. Super speed does have its perks, but unfortunately it could not get her away from this approaching conversation.

Eliza and Alex were sitting silently in the kitchen when Kara arrived, both nursing hot cups of coffee. The sun had begun to peek its head through the windows, its golden beams making Eliza’s house seem ethereal. Kara had always associated Eliza with light and warmth ever since she came to live with the Danvers’, but the looks she and Alex were giving her now were hard and cold.

This was going to be fun.

“Look,” Kara started. “I already know what you’re going to say. I messed up and I won’t do it again.”

“You’re damn right you won’t,” Alex chided, her brown eyes as hard as rock. “What were you thinking, Kara? There’s a reason that you Shift in the basement.”

“I know, Alex.”

“Obviously, you don’t!” Alex violently stood up, sending Kara stumbling back a little. “Do you realize what it could mean for you if you were spotted? For us? We are trying to keep you _safe_ , Kara!”

“I KNOW!” Kara snarled at her sister, her vision beginning to turn hot. “I know, Alex. But I can’t keep going on like this like…like some caged animal. You try being a ten foot tall werewolf in a cramped space when the forest is right outside and calling your name.”

Alex huffed angrily. “You can’t be doing stuff like this. I don’t like this either, but it’s just how things are.”

“For how much longer?”

“Until we know you are completely safe, dear,” Eliza answered as softly as she could. She put her coffee mug down on the table and walked over to Kara, taking the young woman’s hands in her own. “It’s still too dangerous for you to be out there right now.”

“It’s always dangerous for people like us, Eliza,” Kara argued.

The Druid woman sighed. “It’s even more dangerous for someone like _you_ , especially after what happened…”

Kara clenched her jaw and the back of her eyes began to burn with tears. It had been three years since Clark’s death, but the wound was still fresh that it felt like it happened yesterday. He was the only living blood relative Kara had after the rest of her pack died in a fire, so losing him was losing her last connection to them. All she had now were the burn scars on her left arm. “I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. “It won’t happen again.”

Eliza gave Kara a comforting smile and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and the topic wasn’t brought up again. After a quick breakfast, Eliza hugged her daughters goodbye as Alex created a portal using arcane magic back to the city, entering an alleyway near a busy intersection. Kara wasn’t a big fan of loud noises, so the car horns and ringing phones and obnoxious chatting of the city made her ears bleed. It took her a while to get used to, but with Alex’s help and the use of a special herb, she was able to manage it.

“Are you sure you weren’t spotted last night?” Alex asked for the umpteenth time as they headed towards CatCo.

Kara rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes, I’m sure.” That was a bold-faced lie, but she didn’t want give Alex any more reason to be mad at her. “There’s no need to worry, sis.”

Alex huffed. “Just try not to do anything stupid, okay?”

“No promises,” Kara joked.

“Kara.”

“Kidding!” Kara smiled and gave her older sister a hug. “See you tonight?”

“My place. Eight o’clock. Don’t be late.”

Kara saluted Alex. “You got it, boss.”

With one last eye roll from Alex, Kara entered CatCo, the fresh smell of paper and coffee wafting over her as she headed up to her floor. She wasn’t even inside the elevator when she heard the familiar frantic heartbeat of her boss, Snapper Carr, as he paced his office a few floors above. He practically growled Kara’s new assignment to her the moment she stepped out of the elevator doors.

“Lena…Luthor?” Kara asked, her throat going dry when she heard the last name. “As in Lex Luthor?”

“His younger sister and the CEO of L-Corp,” Snapper mumbled. “She’s working on a new project that may be beneficial to Supernaturals and I want you to spare no details about it. Due tomorrow when you come in.”

With that, Snapper went back to his office, leaving Kara to her own devices. _Luthor_. That name had been in her head, and everyone’s heads, for the past three years, and it left a vile taste on her tongue. She didn’t want to interview his younger sister about this beneficial thing for Supernaturals. If she was anything like her brother, it would do more harm than good, that much Kara believed. Nevertheless, this was her job, a job that she enjoyed for the most part, no less. Besides, maybe this could shed some light on the Luthors’ as a whole if Kara asked the right questions. She sat down at her desk and opened her laptop, typing Lena Luthor’s name in the search bar. Nothing really incriminating about her came up, besides all of the Lex stuff; it was mostly about the young woman attempting to turn her family’s company around. That and pictures of her wearing dark clothing and designer shades everywhere she went. But there was something about her that Kara couldn’t shake. Her lunch break was in a few hours, so Kara decided to go over and get the interview over and done with so she could meet Alex at their favorite deli place.

L-Corp was vastly different than CatCo, right down to the scents. Where CatCo was inviting, L-Corp was cold as steel, with shiny gray walls and marble white floors and employees dressed to the nines. Kara swallowed nervously, pulling on her pastel pink cardigan as she got in the elevator. According to the map outside, Lena’s office was on the top floor, so Kara had a while to go. Once she got there, she was greeted by a woman—Lena’s assistant, no doubt—and was led towards the office.

Kara should’ve known something was off by the way the office was empty; not visually empty, but sound-wise empty. She heard nothing, not even a heartbeat. Yet when she entered, she saw a dark-haired woman sitting at her desk, typing into her laptop furiously. Kara furrowed her brow.

This woman had no heartbeat.

She looked up from her work, and Kara felt her entire body freeze when her eyes met Lena’s. Those eyes. She recognized those eyes from last night. Kara felt a lump form in her throat.

Lena Luthor was the one who saw her last night.

And she was also a Supernatural.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Lena clicked through picture after picture, article after article as she tried to learn more about werewolves. She was barely able to get any sleep this morning, so she decided to come into work earlier than she normally would. Being a CEO did have its perks from time to time.

She knew the basics of course, like how they change from man to beast under the light of the full moon and all that jazz, but she never really got into the “lore” of it all. Growing up in an anti-Supernatural family, the closest Lena got to learning about them was the hate speech generated by Lillian. After she went through the Changing, Lena did research solely on vampires and their behaviors, and after Lex went off the deep end, Lena stopped the process entirely. That all changed, however, after the chance encounter that was last night. The stuff that Lena found about werewolves was fascinating, and the scientist in her just wanted to keep on digging. She stopped when she came across an article that would’ve broken her heart if it was still beating: apparently, there was a large pack in the town of Smallville, but they were all wiped out by a massive fire caused by a group of Hunters, or so it seemed. Lena couldn’t help but think that the wolf she saw last night was a member of the Smallville pack, and maybe Clark was too. If that was the case, Lena was incredibly lucky to not only have encountered a werewolf, but to have potentially encountered the last of its pack.

Lena barely heard Jess come in with her 10 am. She had gotten the call earlier that CatCo would be sending one of its reporters over to interview her about her latest project, and while she normally hated interviews, she begrudgingly accepted in the hopes that this latest project would help shape the peoples’ opinion on her, Lena Luthor, rather than the actions of her estranged brother. But nothing could’ve prepared her for what she saw when she looked up.

The reporter was blonde and tall and lean, but what caught Lena’s attention were her eyes. Bright, ocean blue eyes framed by thick glasses perched atop a soft nose. Lena would recognize those eyes anywhere; she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them since last night, and Lena could tell from the way the reporter’s heartbeat was spiking that she recognized Lena as well.

The reporter was the werewolf from last night.

Looks like both of them had some questions for each other.


	2. Blue Meets Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara knows that Lena is a Supernatural, and after talking with Alex, begins to piece together what she actually might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to stick to an actual update schedule. Starting now, I'll be updating this story every Tuesday, and I will be doing the same with my other stories with weekly updates. I will notify y'all if things change, such as if the chapter needs to be delayed or something along those lines. Anyways, I'm so happy that so many of y'all liked the first chapter and I will do my best to give y'all a great story with amazing characters. Also, sorry that this one is so short. I'll try to make the ones in the future longer. Happy Reading!
> 
> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori for reviewing this beforehand!
> 
> And thanks to fishinwild for helping me come up with an invention for Lena. You're the best!

Kara gaped at Lena, completely unable to look away from the fierce, familiar emerald orbs staring back at her as Kara’s lone heartbeat filled the silence of the room. This shouldn’t be happening, Kara thought to herself. This should be impossible! The odds of this happening should be one in a million, and yet it was happening to her, right in front of her, in fact, in the form of _the_ Lena Luthor. Who, apparently, was also a Supernatural. Kara’s mind was still trying to wrap itself around that little revelation when Lena cleared her throat.

“You must be from CatCo,” the young CEO said as she stood up, closing her laptop in the process. “Forgive me, I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

Kara suddenly remembered why she was there as the heat rose in her cheeks. “I—I can come back later, I didn’t mean to intrude…”

Lena waved her off. “No, it’s perfectly fine. What can I help you with, Ms….”

“Danvers,” Kara answered as she sat down across from Lena. Kara fumbled through her purse in search of her notebook and pen, all too aware of Lena’s eyes following her every move. “Okay, um…” She sat up once she found them. “Word on the street is that your company is in the process of manufacturing something that will help the Supernatural community. Is that correct?”

Lena smiled as she sat back down. “You’ve heard correctly, Ms. Danvers, although we have already created a prototype of this device. Would you like to have a look?”

Before Kara could respond, Lena bent down and opened one of her drawers. Kara’s senses were on full alert as Lena pulled out a palm-sized jet-black box. After opening it, she set it directly in front of Kara, revealing its contents to be what appeared to be a silver designer watch. Kara furrowed her brow, but the unnerving feeling in her body didn’t wane. “Uh, I didn’t know that L-Corp was launching its own jewelry.”

Lena laughed, her perfectly white smile being both the most beautiful thing Kara had ever seen and one of the most frightening. “This watch actually emits a cloud that is invisible to the human eye to protect the wearer from extreme cases of sunlight.”

Kara narrowed her eyes. “But not all Supernaturals need protection from the sunlight.”

“No,” Lena agreed. “This particular product is for a certain group of Supernaturals.”

“Those being…”

“Vampires.”

Kara sat back in her chair and looked at the watch again. _Vampires?_ Unlike most Supernatural species, vampires didn’t need glamour to pass as regular humans. Still, most only came out at night; Kara had met a few at a nightclub during her college years and they seemed quite content with their way of life. So why is Lena Luthor of all people making a device for them that could potentially out them in an extremely xenophobic community if this was going to be sold on the open market?

“There are some who do enjoy the nightlife and are happy with their current state,” Lena answered with Kara asked. The blonde couldn’t help but notice the way Lena ground her teeth when she said it, and Kara had to bite back a scoff. The Luthors’ hatred of Supernaturals was no secret; the eldest child had gone on a serial killing spree that lasted almost a full year. And while Lena didn’t appear to be on the same level mentally as her brother, she certainly shared his and the rest of their family’s disdain for Supernaturals, even though she appeared to be one herself. It made Kara want to hurl. “However,” Lena continued, “there are others who do miss this days when the sun didn’t tear through their skin. I’m just providing them with a way to get back a sense of normalcy. Surely, you can understand that, right?”

Kara nodded without even meaning to. Lena’s tone had changed completely from disgust to hopefulness in less than two seconds. Maybe she was more unlike her family than Kara previously thought. But there was something else to the story, something Lena wasn’t telling her; all of her instincts were screaming at her that something was up, and that it had to do with Lena’s secret identity. “Why the interest in vampires, Ms. Luthor?”

A flicker of something passed over Lena’s eyes, but it was gone before Kara could make anything of it. Normally, she would be able to get the truth from someone’s heartbeat—it’s what made her such a good reporter—but Lena didn’t have one, which only added to Kara’s growing suspicions and anxiety. “I’m just trying to help out the community, one step at a time, to undo the wrongs my brother committed in the past. Did you get everything you need?”

Despite not having written anything down, Kara nodded and hurried to pack up her stuff. The unnerving feeling in her chest was growing exponentially, so the sooner she bolted, the better. Just as she turned to leave, Lena’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“I hope this isn’t the last time we talk.”

Something about Lena’s tone sent a shiver down Kara’s spine, and it took everything within her power to not give into the wolf stirring within her. Slowly, she turned around to face Lena again, the latter’s lips slightly turned up in a smirk and a small hopeful glint in her eyes.

“I hope not either,” Kara said with a strained voice, hoping that this was the last time she would speak to Lena as she walked out of the office.

\---------------------------------------------------------

“Earth to Kara. Kara, hello?”

Kara blinked when Alex snapped her fingers in front of her face, breaking her out of her reverie and bringing her back to Alex’s apartment that was filled with pizza boxes and bottles of beer while shitty horror movies played on the television. This had become a sort of tradition for them ever since they moved to the city, rewinding after a long day and night of Shifting and working. “What?”

“We’re watching _Mega Piranha_ and you haven’t laughed once,” Alex said. “What’s on your mind?”

Kara huffed in annoyance. She hated Alex sometimes for being too perceptive, but that’s what Druids do best, Kara supposed. She had been avoiding this topic of discussion ever since she came over, initially telling Alex that her day was practically uneventful, but that lie was beginning to lose its momentum real quick as Alex gave her a questioning, skeptical look. Kara sighed. Her sister was just going to keep badgering her until she cracked, so she might as well tell her the truth. “You know how I told you I had a boring day at work today?”

“Yeah.”

Kara shifted in her seat so she was facing Alex, but her eyes were on her hands, her fingers playing with a hangnail as she continued. “I actually had an interview. With Lena Luthor.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I interviewed Lena Luthor.”

Alex stared at her as if she had grown two heads as her jaw tightly clenched. “I am going to _kill_ Snapper.”

“What? Why?”

“You shouldn’t have had to go through that,” Alex said as she angrily ran a hand through her hair. “Snapper should know, everyone at that damn building should know what that family did to yours.”

Kara quickly reached over and took Alex’s hands in her own. “Alex, calm down. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay, Kara!” Alex argued, a combination of worry and anger mixed with a few unshed tears in her brown eyes. Kara sighed. She knew Alex meant well and was just trying to protect her as she had for the past thirteen years, and Kara couldn’t help but love Alex all the more for it, but she couldn’t protect her forever.

“It’s okay, Alex. Really,” Kara said. “I just…wasn’t expecting it, is all. And besides, the interview wasn’t _all_ bad.”

Alex raised an eyebrow as she took a swig of her beer. “Kara. What else aren’t you telling me?”

Kara bit her lip before recounting the whole interview to Alex as the characters in the movie got attacked by giant carnivorous fish.

“A watch made specifically for vampires?” Alex questioned once Kara finished. “That’s not something I thought I would ever see. I thought they were happy with the nightlife.”

Kara nodded. “I thought so too, but there’s something else. I think Lena’s a Supernatural.”

Alex practically choked on her beer once the words left Kara’s mouth. “Lena Luthor, a Supernatural? Okay, now you’re pulling my leg. There’s no way the sister of the notorious Lex Luthor is a Supernatural.”

“I’m serious, Alex,” Kara said. “When I walked into her office, I didn’t hear any heartbeat other than mine. Lena had no heartbeat.”

Alex nodded slowly as she took Kara’s words in. “Well, that’s strange indeed,” she said, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Maybe…Lena’s a vampire.”

“What?”

“Think about it, Kara. Why else would she not have a heartbeat or make a device specifically for the use of vampires? What if the device is for her as well?”

Kara sat there in contemplative silence. Everything Alex said made sense; it made even more sense when Kara thought about the previous night. The eyes that saw her in her wolf form were above her, in the trees. Why would Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp and well-known socialite, be up in a tree in the middle of the night unless she _was_ a Supernatural? There was also her pale skin, the incredible sharpness of her features and fluidness of her movements, and of course, the fact that she didn't have a heartbeat. It would make total sense if Lena was a vampire. If that were the case, then Lena would've heard Kara's heart rate skyrocket the moment she stepped into the office. Kara couldn’t help but think that Lena knew her secret as well based on the way the woman was looking at her, and it left a large pit in the middle of her stomach, the pit only growing when she returned to her own apartment later that night.

Kara lay in her bed hours later, but sleep continued to elude her; every time she closed her eyes, she saw Lena’s eyes or Lena’s smile, and she kept hearing Lena’s voice at the back of her head saying, “ _I hope this isn’t the last time we talk_ ”. If Lena did know the truth about Kara, why didn’t she say anything? Would she tell her brother? Kara didn’t know what Lex would do about it considering he’s in a maximum-security prison serving ninety consecutive life sentences at the moment, but the thought made Kara nauseous nonetheless. Would Lex even listen to Lena if he knew she was a Supernatural? What was the whole story here? In an attempt to shut her brain up, Kara turned over on her side and closed her eyes, but her thoughts always returned to Lena. Kara had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to be rid of the CEO that easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment if you want!!
> 
> If you want, you can follow me at its-danigobingo-world.tumblr.com and we can cry about Supercorp together and be friends!


	3. 30.8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena runs an errand and Kara sees something that leads her to make a decision that could change her life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori for reviewing this beforehand. You're the best!

Lena sat at her desk in her monochrome office, her laptop open in the guise of doing real work, but in reality had several websites on lycanthropes open. With every website she pored over, Lena couldn’t help but be enraptured by everything she read, taking a few sparse notes as her eyes remained glued to the screen. She had been doing this kind of research for the past couple of days in between budget meetings and conference calls, and she had barely gotten any sleep during that time as a certain pair of blue eyes haunted her dreams. Lena hadn’t been able to forget them since she met Kara Danvers face-to-face. She could also still hear the erratic beating of the young blonde’s heart that was constant during the entire interview; her nervousness had rolled off of her in waves. There was no doubt in Lena’s mind that Kara recognized her from the night of the full moon, and she was also inclined to believe that Kara knew what she was, or at the very least knew that Lena was some sort of Supernatural just as Lena knew Kara was one. She clicked through article after article, trying to wrap her mind around how someone as shy and modest as Kara Danvers transformed into a hulking wolf-creature once a month, but in this world, anything was possible apparently. Lena had learned that the hard way.

If Kara did know that Lena was a vampire, she didn’t say anything, or at least that’s the impression Lena got when she read the blonde’s article about the watch for vampires. When she first read it, Lena was shocked to see that the article didn’t bash her or her last name, but instead informed the public about the watch in the most neutral tone that Lena had ever seen. It wasn’t a flattering article by any means, but Lena had certainly read worse, so this was a welcome breath of fresh air. Lena fiddled with the watch on her wrist, the one that she had shown Kara during the interview, and smiled as she clicked off the websites and attempted to get some real work done.

After about an hour of looking through a small amount of paperwork, Lena found that she couldn’t get the young werewolf out of her head no matter how hard she tried. There was an overwhelming urge to see her again, to thank Kara for her words personally, but Lena knew that could open Pandora’s box for both of them. She shook her head. It was just a simple “thank you”, nothing she couldn’t say in an email. Nevertheless, her instincts got the better of her and she had Jess email CatCo to set up another meeting with the reporter. Just as she did that, her phone lit up with a sickeningly familiar number. Despite her assistant being right outside, Lena’s fangs popped out and a low snarl escaped her throat, the number sparking a fire within her veins. This happened every time. Every week, her estranged brother called from his cold, isolated cell. Day calls were few and far between, but they left her just as uneasy as the night calls. Lena had stopped answering Lex’s calls the first month of his imprisonment; the insults and death threats were becoming too much. Despite all this, Lena took comfort in the fact that Lex wouldn’t be getting out anytime soon, so she decided to return to work. This company wasn’t going to run itself.

However, the thought of Lex, his horrific actions and his wicked smile and maniacal laugh as he was dragged away from the courthouse, made it nigh impossible to concentrate on anything. Lena groaned, itching for something to sink her teeth into. She got up to pour herself a glass of blood, but was shocked to find the bottle empty. Was it that time already? Lena sighed, the thirst beginning to grow stronger. She wasn’t getting anywhere with her work anyway, so she decided to pack up her belongings and head home early. She let Jess know and told her that she could leave early as well as she stepped into the elevator, her driver already waiting for her outside.

“Home, Miss Luthor?” he asked as she climbed inside.

The thirst Lena had been feeling earlier began to make itself more overt as her driver’s scent washed over her, smelling of salt and fresh cologne. She could feel her fangs trying to break free, so she clenched her jaw and exhaled sharply. “I need to pick up something first, Charles.”

Twenty minutes later, Charles was parked in a dank alleyway outside a run-down butcher shop called Sal’s. Lena put on her sunglasses and a plain jacket, switched out her heels for flats and undid her ponytail so her hair fell down below her shoulder blades, silently thanking her past self for keeping all these in the car. Running a hand through her hair, she stepped into the establishment.

The inside of the shop looked just as dilapidated as it did on the outside: the light colors of the walls were rotting and peeling off, there was only one working lightbulb, and even then it flickered one too many times for Lena’s liking, and the smell of spoilt meat would’ve made her gag if her gag reflex still worked. The two patrons there gave her strange looks, but Lena paid them no mind as she made her way to the counter, where a large burly man was cutting up what Lena knew deep down wasn’t pork.

“Miss Thorul,” the man greeted, his toothy smile reaching all the way up to his milky white eyes. Sal was always friendly to her when she came here, but there was something about the way the ghoul looked at her that unsettled her greatly. “I was wondering if you were going to show up. Usual, I presume?”

“Why else would I be here?” Lena grumbled.

Sal gave her a lingering smile as he walked into the back of the shop, returning a few minutes later with a large brown bag. Lena’s mouth began to water as the scent of its contents hit her nostrils, making her realize just how hungry she was. She reached for the bag, but Sal tightened his grip on it as a smirk grew on his lips.

“You able to pay for it?”

Lena glared at him from behind her shades as she pulled out a white envelope and handed it to him. “You know the rules.”

“You were never here,” Sal purred as they made the trade. “Though I gotta ask, why does someone like you care about not being seen? I mean, I know this place ain’t the nicest on the eyes, but it’s a safe space for people like us.”

Lena’s mouth went dry. _For people like us_. “For the same reason as everyone else in this city.” With that, she took the bag and left, looking both ways before making her way over to her car. She listened as well for anybody who may have potentially followed her; ever since Lex had sent professional assassins her way the first year he went away, Lena had always kept her head on a swivel. After confirming to herself that the coast was clear, Lena got in the car and told Charles to take her straight home. The car sped off into traffic, and Lena let out a breath of relief, not noticing a pair of blue eyes staring after her.

Once Lena got home, she sprinted to the kitchen to unpack the containers from the bag, rushing to pour herself a glass of the fresh crimson liquid. Her usual restraint without the window as she abandoned the glass and just sucked the bag dry, her hunger ebbing slightly with each slurp. Blood dripped from her chin as Lena stopped to catch her breath and stared at the brown bag on her counter. 30.8 liters. That was how much blood was in the bag. 30.8 goddamn liters. Every month, she went to that foul butcher shop and paid an absurd amount for her means of survival. At first, Lena didn’t get that much blood, only about half the supply she got now, but her new-felt hunger only got worse the longer she was a vampire, getting so bad to the point where Lena almost attacked a civilian. After that incident, Lena upped her dosage so nothing like that would happen again. She sighed as she wiped her face with a napkin and began to hang the rest of the blood up in her fridge. It was a good thing she didn’t have any friends or she would have a lot of explaining to do if one of them happened to stumble upon her stash.

Once she finished, Lena changed out of her work clothes and into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt from her college days, plopped herself onto her bed and opened her laptop to get some of her unfinished work done. After working for about an hour, Lena got an email from one Kara Danvers, saying that she will meet with Lena tomorrow afternoon. Lena smiled as the thought of seeing Kara again stayed with her through the rest of her work session. At least one good thing came out of today.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Kara arrived at CatCo early that morning, heading straight to her desk and immediately began to work. Despite her article on the L-Corp watch for vampires earning her praise from her coworkers—including Snapper of all people—as well as a decent space in the new issue, that didn’t mean she could slack; in fact, Snapper gave her another assignment the moment she turned in the watch article. Luckily, she was given some more time to breath with this one: a charity event hosted by Lang Industries happening this weekend. Kara had been researching similar events the company had held in the past, noticing that a familiar name kept popping up in the list of the beneficiaries: L-Corp, or as it was known back then, LutherCorp. Kara narrowed her eyes just as she got an email notification from none other than L-Corp itself.

 _Speak of the devil_.

Kara was a little surprised to read that Lena wanted to meet again so soon, and she was nervous to find out why. Listening to her sister’s voice inside her head, Kara ignored the email and continued her work, but found it hard to concentrate as Lena’s porcelain face kept popping up every chance it go, her last words to Kara ringing in her head.

_I hope this isn’t the last time we talk._

These words had stuck with Kara, and she had been wrestling with them for the past few days. Clearly, Lena did want to talk to her again, but did Kara? She found herself torn on that. There was something about Lena that made her want to go back…

Before she could dwell on the thought any longer, her phone buzzed, and she sighed in relief when she saw Alex’s photo on the screen. “Hello?”

“ _Hey, you hungry?_ ”

Kara scoffed. “You know I’m always hungry.”

“ _Great. Wanna go to All Stars?_ ”

A half hour later, Kara found herself in a booth with Alex at the dive bar tackling a large plate of supreme nachos while Alex nursed a burger and a Bud Light. “I envy your metabolism,” the older woman sighed.

Kara laughed, trying not to choke on cheese and chips. “Guess there are some perks to being a lycan, other than most everything else.”

Alex chuckled as well. “Well, I wouldn’t get too cocky because Mom got new locks for the basement.”

“The last one didn’t hold me,” Kara countered. Granted, she had never tried to get out before that night. “And you know how strong I am even in this form, so what makes you think these’ll work?”

“You won’t be able to break these ones.” A dark look passed over Alex’s face, but before Kara could make it out, her sister switched subjects. “Have you heard from the Luthor girl?”

Kara froze mid-bite, her heart leaping up into her throat. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Alex said as she folded her hands on the table. “Just looking out for you, is all.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “It was one interview, Alex. I was doing my job.”

“I know, I know. I just don’t trust her, that’s all.”

“And you think I do?”

“No, that’s not what—” Alex huffed. “You have been in a funk ever since that interview. I don’t know what she said to you—”

“She didn’t say anything.”

“—but I don’t like the way it’s making you feel,” Alex finished. “Supernatural or not, I don’t trust her. Her family and others like them have caused more harm than good.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Kara fumed as she ripped off her glove. “The only thing I have left of my pack are these scars. I’ve woken up everyday for the past thirteen years knowing that my family is gone. And now Clark’s gone too. I know who the real monsters are, Alex. I don’t need you to remind me.” _But I don’t think Lena is one of them._

Alex remained silent for a while before she stiffly nodded, letting the subject drop as they ate the rest of their lunch in relative silence. After Alex paid the bill, they walked around downtown for a bit, passing various stores and buildings as they talked about work and the cute human doctor that Alex fancied and Kara loved to tease her about among other things. Pretty soon, it was time for Alex to head back to work.

“Do you want a lift back to CatCo?”

Kara shook her head. “I’m good. Tell Vicki I said hi.”

Alex rolled her eyes as her cheeks burned a bright pink. “See ya, Kar.” With that, she turned and headed into an alleyway, no doubt making a portal that will take her back to the hospital. Kara smiled as she made her way down the street, trying not to focus too much on the raucous din of the city. She loved Alex and was grateful for her for pretty much everything, but the Druid could be a little overbearing at times. Ever since Kara came to live with the Danvers’, Alex had taken her role as “protector” very seriously; Kara silently laughed at the memory of a fifteen-year old Alex threatening to hang school bully Chuck Lewis on the flagpole by his underwear if he so much as looked at Kara the wrong way. Yes, Alex had her moments, but at the end of the day, Kara was glad that it was the Danvers’ who found her.

She soon came across a known alleyway that sent a shiver down her spine, so she hurried to cross it, but a strange sight caught her eye: a long, black car, a limousine by the looks of it, was parked directly across from Sal’s Butcher Shop. Kara furrowed her brow. Why the hell is a super rich person’s car in a dark alleyway, and outside Sal’s no less? Kara had heard about the kind of shit the ghoul and his goonies sold, and she didn’t very much like it. She smelled the air, immediately retching as the smell of rotten meat hit her nostrils. But there was something else. A mixed scent of roses and mint, very fresh and clean opposite the death and decay Sal’s housed. Before she could take a step further to investigate, the shop door opened and a dark-haired woman stepped out onto the street. Kara ducked behind a dumpster, attempting to get a closer look at the woman as she hastily walked towards the car. Kara’s eyes widened when she didn’t hear a heartbeat, and her jaw dropped when she saw the woman wearing the watch that Kara was shown only a few days ago at L-Corp. She knew they weren't on the market yet, so why does this woman have one? There was only one answer in Kara’s mind as the car sped off.

Lena Luthor was a vampire after all.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

It took Kara a while to get back to CatCo, as she was still dazed from what she just saw. This confirms both Kara’s and Alex’s theories about Lena, but that didn’t make the pit in Kara’s stomach any smaller. She returned to her desk a mere forty-five minutes later; Snapper was busy chewing an intern’s head off, so luckily he didn’t notice her sulk back in, but unfortunately someone did.

“Get distracted during your lunch break, Kar?” Winslow Schott Jr. asked from his adjacent desk. “Something’s on your mind. I can see the gears turning from here.”

Kara looked up at him. The Fae boy had always looked at her with a curious glint in his big, brown eyes, and today was no different. The Fae were a curious people, and often that curiosity mixed with their playful nature often got them in trouble. “I’m fine,” Kara said, shrugging off Winn’s words as she opened up her laptop.

“If you say so,” Winn smirked as he returned to his own laptop. Kara bit back a growl as she opened up her emails and clicked on the one from L-Corp, staring at it and reading over its contents ten times over.

 _I hope this isn’t the last time we talk_.

Kara blew out a puff of air and typed out a hopefully coherent reply, praying that Alex would forgive her as she pressed “Send.”


	4. Shifting, Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara nodded and gave the CEO a strained smile. “I was just doing my job, Miss Luthor.”
> 
> “Well, you did a good job, Miss Danvers. And please, call me Lena.”
> 
> “Well, if I’m calling you Lena…”
> 
> “Kara it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINALLY HERE! I am so so so sorry for the late update. I hope this chapter more than makes up for it. Part 2 coming soon!
> 
> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori for reviewing this beforehand!

This was officially the longest elevator ride of Kara’s life. The blonde fiddled with her glove as the stainless steel box slowly made its way to the top floor, trying to block out the sound of her thundering heartbeat by focusing on her breathing. She didn’t know why she was so worked up about meeting with Lena again. Maybe it was because she knew who Lena truly was now, or rather _what_ she truly was, had kept her up for most of the previous night. At around two in the morning, Kara had abandoned the notion of sleep in favor of a large gray hoodie and an old pair of sneakers, climbing up the side of her building with ease until she reached the roof. She liked to do this on the sleepless nights leading up to the full moon, which was usually the week before, but sometimes Kara had nightmares or stress-filled nights where sleep was an impossibility.

Kara would leap from building to building, sprinting off one and practically flying to the next until she worked up a sweat, ultimately landing on one of the taller buildings that looked over the entire city. She always enjoyed the view from up here, how the city came to life once the sun went down; it gave her a chance to breathe, a chance to reflect, and a chance to be herself. When she first moved to the city, the noises and smells were overwhelming to the point of paralysis, but thankfully Alex had been there to help her with this new transition in her life, and now she felt at home in the city. Kara had stayed there until her nerves had calmed a bit before heading back to her apartment and getting at least a couple hours of sleep.

All the nerves returned, however, once she stepped onto the L-Corp elevator, and her body was practically shaking by the time she entered the younger Luthor’s office.

“Miss Danvers.” Lena’s eyes had lit up when Kara walked into the room, and Kara noticed the plasticity to them, realizing that Lena was wearing contacts. She mentally kicked herself for not noticing that before as the CEO stood up and shook her hand. “I’m so glad you could make it during such short notice, so I’ll make this quick.” She motioned for Kara to sit down as she reclaimed her seat behind the desk. If Lena heard the frantic beating of Kara’s heart against her sternum, she didn’t give anything away. “First off, I wanted to thank you for your article. It was the most genial piece of press that L-Corp has gotten in recent years, so thank you.”

Kara nodded and gave the CEO a strained smile. “I was just doing my job, Miss Luthor.”

“Well, you did a good job, Miss Danvers. And please, call me Lena.”

“Well, if I’m calling you Lena…”

“Kara it is.”

Kara furrowed her brow. She didn’t remember telling Lena her first nameThey sat in silence for a little bit, or at least long enough for Kara to wonder if this was all she was summoned for. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

Lena’s lips curled up into a smile. “Actually, there might be. L-Corp is hosting a gala in three weeks to raise money for the children’s hospital and I was wondering if you could come and cover the event.”

Kara felt her hair stand on end as all of her instincts screamed at her that this was some sort of trap. “Why—why do you want me there? I mean there will be a lot of journalists there who will be covering it.”

“True,” Lena consented, “but I trust _you_.”

“Why?”

Lena leant forward so her elbows were resting on her desk, her eyes never leaving Kara’s. The power in her gaze sent a shiver down Kara’s spine; it made her wonder how powerful it would look with Lena’s real eyes. The thought made her throat close up as Lena spoke. “I trust that you will write honestly and fairly, just like you did with the article about the watch, and Lord knows we need good press right now.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “So what’s the catch? I give you and your company a good word and you hand me a check?”

Lena chuckled lightheartedly. “There’s no catch. Like I said, I trust you.”

Kara stared at Lena, perplexed. This was not how she was expecting this day to go at all. Lena arched an eyebrow, and Kara realized she had been staring and silent for God knows how many minutes so she cleared her throat. “Well, I would…love to, Lena, but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Ah, I will be out of town for…for a family thing.”

Lena knitted her brow together, the skepticism etched on her face, and Kara tried her best to slow her heart rate. She technically wasn’t lying. She would be out of town during the weekend of the gala, in Midvale getting ready for the Shift. But there was something to Lena’s gaze that made her feel uneasy, even though the colors were fake, and Kara couldn’t quite shake the feeling. However, Lena didn’t press any further and leaned back in her chair. “I understand. Nothing is more important than family.”

Kara bristled at those words, biting back a growl but failing to bite back a retort. “You would know all about that, wouldn’t you?”

Lena’s jaw tightens and her eyes harden tremendously. Both women stared at each other for several, silent moments, the lack of heartbeat from Lena putting Kara even more on edge. “My family has done some… _horrible_ things in the past,” Lena finally said. “But I can’t speak for them. What I can do is try to move past that. I’m trying to make up for my family’s sins by making a name for myself outside of my family and turning this company into a force for good. You can understand that, can you?”

Kara nodded after a short while, a part of her wanting to believe her, but there was still a tiny feeling inside her that didn’t fully trust Lena. Well, it didn’t trust anyone with the last name “Luthor”. Nevertheless, she had already outstayed her welcome, so she gathered her things and headed towards the door, thanking Lena for having her.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me again,” Lena replied. “I hope this isn’t the last time we talk.”

Another shiver runs down Kara’s spine at the same words from their first meeting. Everything within her was yelling at her to run, to get as far away from this place as she could, yet there was something about Lena that Kara couldn’t help but be drawn to. She turned around to face Lena, and her heart clenched at the almost-hopeful look in the CEO’s eyes. Was it sincere? Or was it just as fake as her contacts? Kara knew that both answers scared her, so she just nodded before exiting the office.

It wasn’t until she was outside the domineering building and on the busy sidewalk that she pulled out her phone and pressed a familiar number. “Hey, Alex. Uh, there’s something I need to tell you.”

\------------------------------------------------------

“You did _what_?” Alex harshly spoke into the phone, earning a few curious glances from the other nurses in the hospital cafeteria. She had been calmly eating her noodles when her phone vibrated with Kara’s name shining on the screen, but now that calmness was quickly being replaced with frustration. “Why the hell did you meet with her again?”

“ _Journalistic curiosity, Alex, I don’t know_ ,” Kara replied, her own tone sounding annoyed. “ _Look, I’m sorry, okay? But you were right._ ”

“About Lena being bad news?”

“ _No. About Lena being a Supernatural, more specifically a vampire_.”

Alex’s jaw dropped. “Really? How do you know?”

“ _I saw her_ ,” Kara explained. “ _Outside Sal’s. She was wearing the watch she showed me. The one I told you about_.”

“Damn,” Alex said. “I knew there was more to that watch. And Sal’s, really? What do you think she was getting there?”

“ _I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Besides, Lena seemed eager to get out of there, almost as if she didn’t want to be seen._ ”

“I can imagine why. News outlets would be all over her if the youngest member of a notorious Supernatural hating family was revealed to be a Supernatural,” Alex pointed out. “Did you find anything more out during your meeting?”

“ _She wears colored contacts and the drink cabinet smells vaguely of blood,_ ” Kara listed. “ _I can’t believe I missed those before._ ”

“You were probably distracted. I mean Lena is quite beautiful.”

“ _More like I was distracted by her_ lack of a heartbeat.”

Alex laughed. “I’m just messing with you, sis. Where are you now?”

“ _Heading back to CatCo then going to find a dress to the Lang Industries charity event. I’m hoping to find one that is both nice and will cover up my scars. Why can’t I just wear pants? It would be so much easier._ ”

“Wish I could come, but I gotta work,” Alex said with longing. It may not look it, but between the two of them, she was the more fashion-savy one. Kara had always called her when she needed fashion advice, whether it be for an interview, a date, or just a simple outing with friends. “Speaking of which, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“ _Okay. Oh, how are things with Vicki?_ ”

“Bye, Kara.”

With that, Alex hung up, but couldn’t help but smile at the teasing tone her sister used. Vicki went to school with the both of them back in Midvale, and had been Alex’s best friend since they were seven. They had also gone to medical school together and, as fate would have it, were working at the same hospital together. Alex also had a massive crush on Vicki, something she realized the first day she saw her at the hospital in her nurse uniform. Kara had teased her about it relentlessly when Alex told her, and had been encouraging Alex to go for it, but Alex was more reserved about it. There were several reasons why she shouldn’t: first, Vicki was her best friend. Second, and probably most important, dating in the workplace was highly looked down upon. Alex had heard horror stories from both her coworkers and Kara about her own coworkers that left a bad taste in her mouth, but whenever she saw Vicki, all of those stories went out the window. Which reminded her that she needed to meet her right now so they could do rounds. Alex quickly scarfed down the rest of her lunch and left the cafeteria to find Vicki, who she found at the front desk having a jovial conversation with the desk clerk. Alex’s heart leapt up to her throat when her eyes landed on Vicki’s smile, causing her to smile as well. When Vicki turned to look at her, her throat closed up.

 _Get it together, Danvers_.

“Danvers,” Vicki greeted as she walked over with a clipboard in her hand. “Ready to get started?”

Incapable of speech, Alex simply nodded and followed Vicki down the hall where their patients were waiting.

“We got a newcomer today,” Vicki said. “Woman, early thirties, with contusions over her entire body.”

Alex took a look at the chart. “Samantha Arias. How did this happen?”

“No clue. She arrived this morning covered in bruises and blood, unconscious. No personal belongings. Most of the blood wasn’t even her own.”

She went into the room belonging to the woman called Samantha Arias, closely followed by Alex who had to fight to keep her lunch in her stomach. Purple and yellow bruises decorated the woman’s face, neck, and arms. Her lip was split in four different places, her eyes were swollen and black, and her hair was an absolute mess. “What the hell happened to her?”

Vicki shrugged and shook her head. “If I had to guess, a mugging gone bad. They found her in an alley. She’s been like this ever since.”

“Is she a Supernatural?”

Vicki flipped through the charts on her clipboard. “According to this, her blood work came back negative. She’s a human.”

“Jesus.” Alex stepped towards the woman, feeling nothing but pity for her. Who would do this to someone? It made her sick to her stomach. “Any relatives?”

Vicki nodded. “A mother named Patricia and a daughter named Ruby.”

Alex sucked in a breath. “How old is the daughter?”

“Twelve.”

“Jesus fuck.” Alex pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “Do they know?”

“I would assume so. I would want to know if my relative was in a coma.”

Alex nodded her agreement, her eyes never leaving Samantha’s.

“Come on,” Vicki said. “We still got a whole list to get through.”

“You go on, I’ll catch up.”

Vicki nodded and left the room, leaving Alex alone with Samantha. “This shouldn’t have happened to you,” she whispered to no one. “I hope you wake up soon, for your family’s sake.”

With that, Alex turned and left the room. The sight reminded her too much of Kara when they first met. Granted, Kara hadn’t been covered in bruises, but the third degree burns on her left arm had burned their way into Alex’s memory. Eliza had still been working at the hospital then, and had cared for Kara during her time there, growing to love the girl so much that she adopted her after learning that her parents were dead and that her last living relative was in no place to take care of a child at the time. Alex wasn’t all too keen about having a sister at first, but over time she and Kara grew to love each other too. She let out a sigh as she rejoined Vicki in the next room, silently hoping that Samantha Arias would recover quickly.

\-------------------------------------------------------

The gala was already in full swing by the time Kara arrived to the pristine building that was Lang Industries. She showed her press pass to the security guard and was ushered into the main room, making sure her glove was tucked into the sleeve of her royal blue dress and that she had all of her reporting stuff in her bag. Kara never thought she would be doing an assignment in heels, but that was the job, she guessed.

The smells were the first thing she noticed, as they always were; the combined scents of fermented alcohol, expensive perfume, and strong cologne were enough to overwhelm her, which didn’t help with her shaky nerves. Not to mention that a majority of the people here were humans, and they didn’t have pro-Supernatural views. Alex had tried to talk Kara out of going tonight on the account that the reporter might see Lena again, but Kara told her sister that Snapper had entrusted this story to her and that she didn’t want to lose her job on the chance that she did run into the CEO. Kara wasn’t planning on staying long anyway; she would just get a few quotes from some of the patrons, listen to Lana Lang’s speech, and then leave.

And that’s exactly what Kara did. After downing one too many potstickers to calm her nerves, she went around the event interviewing the more prominent beneficiaries that Lang Industries always invited, getting more than enough for her article. Nevertheless, she still decided to stick around for the speech. Kara got herself another plate of potstickers and found a lone table just outside the main room, a perfect place where she can start getting her article together. Kara was in the middle of writing the introduction when the familiar scent of roses and mint hit her nostrils, and her stomach dropped. Before she could do anything, Lena was right before her. She was very beautiful, and Kara’s heart picked up at the sight of her. Lena looked a vision in the emerald green dress she was wearing, which brought out her eyes, and her hair was curled and fell over her shoulder like a dark waterfall. Kara couldn’t look away. Lena Luthor was absolutely stunning.

“Kara,” Lena greeted, a kind smile adorning her face. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

Kara found herself rendered speechless in the presence of Lena. There was something about the way the other woman was looking at her: a mixture of genuine admiration and curiosity that made Kara wonder what she had done to warrant such a look. “I’m uh,” she started, clearing her throat. “I’m on assignment. I was just about to leave, actually.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” Lena said. “You’ll miss the speech if you do, though. Lana always gives excellent speeches at these events.”

 _Right. The speech._ Kara looked up at the clock. It was almost time for Lana to be making her speech anyway, so Kara reluctantly decided to stay. She gathered up her notebook and pen and began to make her way back inside, but Lena stood in front of her. Kara had to bite back an annoyed growl. What did Lena want with her?

“I can provide a quote, if you want.”

“I’m sorry?”

“A quote,” Lena repeated. “For your article.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “Still want that good word, don’t you?”

“That’s hardly the reason,” Lena countered. “I’ve been watching you interview the entire party here, and I can tell you for a fact that I know Lana Lang a lot more than them.”

“You do?”

Lena nodded. “We went to boarding school together. Lana was one of the few with a big heart, always trying to come up with new ways to save the world. She was always one for a challenge, so bull-headed, but she never backs down. That’s one of the things that makes her a great CEO and an even better friend.” Lena pauses, giving Kara some time to pull out her recorder, as well as notice the somber look in Lena’s eyes. “Lana…she’s been there for me for a majority of my life, and has been a real friend during these past few years especially. No one wants to be friends with the sister of a homicidal maniac, right?”

Kara didn’t have a response. Her heart ached for Lena in that moment, at the sincere tone that the CEO used when talking about Lana. She felt bad for assuming the worst about Lena and listening to her sister’s judgments about her, and guilty for brushing her off as nothing more than an extension of Lex. Kara cleared her throat, realizing a little too late that she was openly staring at Lena as she stopped the recording device. “Thank you for your piece, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena smiled, but the sadness remained in her eyes. “I thought we agreed to drop formalities the last time we saw each other, _Kara_.”

Kara felt her cheeks flush as Lena walked back into the room with a small smirk on her face, knowing that the dark-haired woman could hear her racing heartbeat. She took a shaky breath in an effort to calm down. “Get it together, Danvers,” she whispered to herself, entering the room just as Lana Lang was taking the stage.

Kara didn’t hear anything that left Lana’s lips. She wasn’t paying attention at all, for all her attention was focused on Lena, who was on the other side of the room. Kara furrowed her brow. There was more to Lena than meets the eye. For starters, she was nothing like what Kara envisioned. Since their first meeting, Lena had been nothing but kind and professional with Kara, which had shocked the blonde at first. She had always associated the Luthor name with hate and bigotry and genocide, but Lena was the complete opposite of all those things, not to mention the fact that she was a vampire. Kara wished she could hear the younger Luthor’s heartbeat to get a gauge on what she was feeling, but there was nothing. Kara wondered what it was like to have no heartbeat. Did Lena feel nothing at all? Was this all just a front? Kara didn’t know, but she found herself believing Lena, which terrified her all the more.

Once the speech was over, Kara booked it out of there and took an Uber home, eager to be alone in her own house. Once she entered her apartment, she quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and opened up her laptop, intent on finishing her article before going to sleep. She was already worked up from seeing Lena again with no warning, so sleep was out of the question for the time being. Kara pored over her notes and her recordings, using her superhuman speed to type out what she believed to be a fairly decent article. She was about two-thirds of the way through when she came across Lena’s part, and she stopped typing. The genuine sincerity in Lena’s voice melted her heart again, and Kara could picture the look on Lena’s face the exact moment the words left her mouth. The thoughts Kara had during the speech came back to her. Maybe Lena meant no harm at all, that she really did want to help the Supernatural society, and Kara felt bad for the way she had been treating her.

Kara was able to finish the article a little after midnight, but as she printed it and went to bed, her mind lingered on thoughts of Lena and wondered if she was ever going to see the vampire again. Kara found that as she closed her eyes she wanted to.

\-------------------------------------------------------

“Kara! Get down here! It’s almost time!”

“Coming!”

Kara quickly through on an oversized t-shirt and a frumpy pair of sweatpants, nearly tripping over her own feet as she bounded down the stairs of her Midvale home. She and Alex had arrived late yesterday afternoon once they got off work, and the two Druid women have been preparing for this month’s Shift since. Eliza had also cooked up a storm when Kara arrived, with all of her favorite foods covering the dinner table that Kara happily dug into so she wouldn’t have a ravenous appetite as a wolf. The blonde almost chewed her own leg off during her first Shift at the Danvers’ household, so Eliza always made sure Kara was well-fed each time, which the latter was always grateful for.

Kara swung by the kitchen and snags another slice of pizza before heading down to the basement where Alex and Eliza were waiting. The entire room had been werewolf-proofed once more with all of the shelves and furniture being pushed against the walls to give Kara room to run around in, and all of the valuables had been removed and relocated to an upstairs closet so Kara wouldn’t break them by accident. Eliza had also reinforced the charms surrounding their house, making sure the basement was soundproof and that no one stumbled upon them by mistake.

“Here,” Alex said. “Bottoms up.”

Kara groaned as Alex handed her a glass of brownish liquid, a potion of sorts, if you will, that would help ease the pain of the Shift. The Shift was still pretty painful, but the potion did do its best to help. Nevertheless, it tasted like rotten eggs, and Kara hated taking it every time. “Do I have to?”

Alex gave her a pointed look, and Kara grimaced as she drained the putrid liquid, trying her best not to vomit it all up. You would think after thirteen years of doing this, it would’ve gotten easier to swallow, but that sadly wasn’t the case. “I hate this,” Kara said once she finished.

“It helps, doesn’t it?” Alex said. “I don’t slave over this for a whole week for you to whine about it.”

“You can at least make it not taste like shit.”

“Girls!” Eliza gave them both a warning look before Alex could retort. “It’s almost time. I already put locks on the other door. Alex.”

Alex nodded as she gave Kara a hug. “We’ll be right upstairs if anything goes wrong, okay?”

Kara rolls her eyes but smiles. “I know. You’ve told me that since I started Shifting.”

“Just looking out for you, Kar. And don’t even think about escaping this time, okay?”

“I won’t.”

Alex gives Kara one last smile before heading back upstairs. She wouldn’t be sleeping tonight, and neither would Eliza for that matter. They hardly ever slept during full moons, always keeping an ear out for Kara just in case anything went haywire, such as the young werewolf breaking out of the basement and sprinting into the forest. Kara sighed. She felt guilty about putting her adoptive family through this month after month, but she couldn’t help what she was. There was no stopping the beast within. Kara moved over to give Eliza a hug, and her skin immediately began to crawl. She furrowed her brow. This was weird and new; it was as if her skin was on fire. Kara could feel the wolf trying to break free, wanting to rip out of her skin and eliminate whatever kind of threat this was.

“Alex and I will be upstairs if you need us,” Eliza said, seemingly oblivious to Kara’s predicament. She let go and turned around to go back upstairs, the fiery feeling dissipating as Eliza locked the door behind her. Kara let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, her heart still hammering against her sternum. What _was_ that? She’s had some similar reactions in the past to various herbs and concoctions Eliza would have around the house when she was younger, but nothing this extreme. Before she could think more about it, a wave of pain crashed into Kara’s stomach, causing her to cry out and drop to her knees.

It was excruciating, as if someone had swung a baseball bat directly into her abdomen full force. Kara shrieked as another wave of pain took hold, her back arching and her fingers curling into fists. The pain coursed through her body, her internal organs feeling as if they were on fire. She cried out in anguish as her eyes landed on her hands. Her fingernails were starting to grow at a rapid pace, getting longer and sharper by the second. Kara bit back another scream by biting down on her tongue, crimson pouring from her lips as she coughed up a couple small white teeth that were quickly replaced with razor sharp fangs. Her back arches again as if her spine was trying to break through her skin. Tears, blood, and teeth fell onto the wooden floor as her thumbs shrunk into her hands, her fingers bunched up, and her heels elongated. Kara screamed again, but instead of a high-pitched cry, a terrifying roar escaped her throat instead. She felt her bones shifting underneath her skin, her muscles ripping and tearing apart, her heart threatening to break her sternum.

Everything hurt. There wasn’t an inch of her that was safe from this transformation.

Her ears began to stretch backwards and become pointed as her forearms began to become covered with dirty-blonde hair. Her back arches once more, this time tearing through her shirt. Kara feels a sharp pain in her rear just as her face begins to hurt, stretching outward and pulling her skin and bones and muscles with it. She roared in pain. This pain is unlike the others before it; it was as if someone was trying to pull out her entire jaw by just one tooth. A burning sensation in Kara’s eyes slightly distracts her from the rest of her body, her hands shooting up to them as her vision pulsates from normal to yellow. Finally, a soul-chilling howl escapes her snout and she falls to the blood-covered floor, overwhelmed and exhausted from the transformation.

\--------------------------------------------------------

She opened her eyes to the darkness of the room, the pain from before completely gone. She pushed herself up off the ground and stretched out her legs, instinct taking over as she sniffed the air. The sounds of the forest outside reached her ears, and she immediately perked up. The tall trees, soft earth, and abundance of prey and scents beckoned her forward. She belonged out there, not in this…prison.

She growled as she made for the basement door—she remembered it working the last time—and pounded against it with all her might, but with each push, she felt herself getting weaker. Her skin began to crawl and she backed away, baring her teeth, but she saw no immediate threat before her. There was something there though, she could feel it, and it would not stop her from getting out. She rammed her body against the door several more times, pushing through the odd sensation until she finally broke free. She let out a victorious huff, but the creepy feeling didn’t go away. She padded over to where the locks had been thrown, sniffing them before prodding one with her paw.

Big mistake.

The very touch burned her and she let out a pained yelp, sprinting head on into the forest. The forest was incredibly dark, but that didn’t bother her; she could see several feet in front of her, so she didn’t worry about tripping over overgrown roots or anything of the sort. She began to pick up the pace, the harsh air burning her lungs and drying out her mouth, her tongue lolling out like a fleshy rag doll. The muscles in her legs were burning as well, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she loved it, this feeling of freedom. It felt…right. That’s when it hit her: a sweet, rosy scent that hit her nostrils like a pulled-back tree branch. It seemed familiar, as if she had encountered it before. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to follow it.

The trail took her deeper and deeper into the woods, the scent getting stronger until she came across a small clearing where it became almost overwhelming. She looked around, but didn’t see anything. That was, until she looked up.

There. There it was. The source. Up in a tree.

Along with a familiar, vibrant pair of green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment if you want!!
> 
> If you want, you can follow me at its-danigobingo-world.tumblr.com and we can cry about Supercorp together and be friends!


	5. Shifting, Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She focused on the sounds of late afternoon traffic down below her, the strong smells of the restaurants filling her nostrils as the thoughts of Lex and the prison moved to the back of her mind. She did this until she came across a particular sound, a familiar one, and her eyes snapped open.   
> It was a heartbeat.   
> It was the heartbeat that belonged to one Kara Danvers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter focuses on Lena's POV of the events of the previous chapter. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori for reviewing this beforehand!

The sun was shining through the windows of Lena’s office, illuminating the mostly bare room with its glow. She had been finishing up paperwork all morning and it was starting to take its toll on her; not physically of course, but the monotonous repetition was beginning to get very old very fast, and she was begging for a distraction. Her fangs were beginning to itch (she hadn’t eaten all day), so she got up to fix herself a quick drink; something to hold her over until Kara got here. Frankly, it surprised Lena that Kara agreed to meet with her again, and if Lena was being honest with herself, she was excited to see Kara again. She doesn’t know what it is about her, but Lena felt oddly at ease in the werewolf’s presence.

As if on cue, Jess entered her office informing her that Kara Danvers was here to see her. Lena put the unopened bottle away as quickly as she could, telling her assistant to let the reporter in. Kara walked in a few milliseconds later, wearing a white button-up under a gray sweater and a pair of green slacks. Her hair was done in an intricate French braid and her glasses framed her blue eyes perfectly, making them pop like rare gems, and Lena relaxed tremendously once she saw them.

“Miss Danvers,” she greeted amicably. However, Kara didn’t seem to share her enthusiasm for meeting again as they shook hands. “I’m so glad you could make it during such short notice, so I’ll make this quick.”

Kara sat down in front of her, adjusting her glasses as Lena thanked her for her article. Lena noticed the way Kara tugged on the black glove on her left hand, wondering what scars she was trying to hide.

“I was just doing my job, Miss Luthor.”

“Well, you did a good job. Miss Danvers. And please, call me Lena.”

“Well if I’m calling you Lena…”

“Kara it is.”

Kara stiffly nodded and fiddled with her glasses once more. Lena notices her rapid heartbeat and the way Kara is looking at her, as if she knows something Lena doesn’t. It doesn’t take Lena long to realize that Kara knows who she really is, or rather _what_ she really is. That shouldn’t have shocked her really, but it still unnerved her all the same.

“Is there anything else you need from me?”

If Lena could blush, she would, for she really didn’t have anything else to offer Kara other than her gratitude for the watch article. This was getting awkward real fast, but a thought hit Lena just then, and her lips curled into a triumphant smile. “Actually, there might be. L-Corp is hosting a gala in three weeks to raise money for the children’s hospital and I was wondering if you would come and cover the event.

Kara bristled in her seat as she narrowed her eyes at Lena. “Why—why do you want me there? I mean there will be a lot of journalists there who will be covering it.”

“True,” Lena nodded. “But I _trust_ you.”

“Why?”

Why indeed? Lena barely knew Kara, having only interacted with her two times, yet she did trust her, and Lena was terrified at how quickly she did. Not wanting to give that fear away, she straightened her back and looked directly into Kara’s eyes, completely unwavering. “I trust that you will write honestly and fairly, just like you did with the article about the watch, and Lord knows we need good press right now.”

“So what’s the catch?” Kara asked. “I give you and your company a good word and you hand me a check?”

Lena couldn’t help but laugh at how absurd that question was. “There’s no catch,” she responded. “Like I said, I trust you.”

Kara continued to stare at her, a perplexed expression etched onto her face. Clearly, this wasn’t what the young reporter was expecting, and to be honest, Lena wasn’t expecting the day to go this way either. But she had to do something! There was something special about Kara, and Lena wanted to get to know her better. After a few minutes of silence, Kara cleared her throat. “Well, I would…love to, Lena, but I can’t.”

Lena’s face fell. “Why not?”

“Ah, I will be out of town for…for a family thing.”

Lena furrowed her brow. Kara’s heart was racing and she was practically squirming in her seat, but Lena knew she wasn’t lying. She decided to drop the subject as she leant back in her chair. “I understand. Nothing is more important than family.”

“You would know all about that, wouldn’t you?” Kara growled.

Lena’s jaw immediately tightened as her fangs threatened to make an appearance. She couldn’t wholly blame Kara for sharing the same prejudices against her family with everyone else in the city, not to mention this subject was also quite personal for Kara. Nevertheless, it still stung. “My family has done some…horrible things in the past,” Lena said as calmly as she could. “But I can’t speak for them. What I can do is try to move past that. I’m trying to make up for my family’s sins by making name for myself outside of my family and turning this company into a force for good. You can understand that, can’t you?”

After another short period of silence, Kara sheepishly nodded, thanking Lena for her time as she gathered her stuff and headed towards the door.

“I hope this isn’t the last time we talk,” Lena called after her. She bites back a smile as Kara’s heart rate begins to pick up, letting out a small chuckle once the reporter left her office. Lena then got up and resumed pouring herself a glass of blood, downing the whole thing in one gulp. She had been thirsty all throughout the meeting and the sweet vanilla and honey scent wafting off of Kara had been proving to be too much. She poured herself another glass as she wondered what it would be like to sink her teeth into Kara’s skin and taste her for herself. The thought left her head as quickly as it entered, appalled that such a thought would enter her head. Lena put the bottle away and sat back down at her desk. She didn’t want to hurt Kara. She would never hurt Kara. She shouldn’t be thinking about this at all; her supply was full and it would last her for a good while, so why was she daydreaming about drinking a near stranger’s blood?

Lena was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing. Grateful for the distraction, Lena picked it up to see who was calling her, only to hiss at the familiar number of the prison. She should’ve known; it was that time of day, so of course he would be calling. Everything within her wanted to answer the call, to hear her brother’s voice once more, hoping that his time in prison had changed him, but Lena knew deep down that you can’t change crazy, no matter how long you’ve been locked up in a cell.

She puts the phone down and attempts to finish the rest of her work, only managing to get a handful of it done before calling it a day, her mind unable to think of anything other than Lex and Kara.

 

\--------------------------

 

Lena arrived at the gala at Lang Industries a little before it was supposed to start, walking up to the building in her favorite green dress. She was known for being a pretty punctual person, especially when it came to events held by her only friend in National City. After managing to skirt by some of the paparazzi, she slips into the building, putting on her best face as she went to greet the other early birds. She was in a middle of a conversation with a prominent investor and his wife before she was waved over by Lana Lang, the CEO of Lang Industries and her best friend.

“I’m so glad you could come,” Lana said as they went off on their own to talk in private.

“Oh, Lana dear, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lena replied, giving Lana a friendly smile.

“I feel like it’s been _forever_ since I’ve seen you last. You haven’t aged a day! What’s your secret? How have you been?”

“I’ve been good.” Lena replied, which was true for the most part. “By the way, congratulations on another successful gala.”

Lana laughed. “Darling, the gala hasn’t even started yet.”

“True, but all of your past galas were super successful, so why should this one be any different?”

Lana laughed again, Lena sharing it with her as they walked down the hallway. It was always nice to see Lana, and she wished that they could see each other outside of these functions, but both of them being CEOs of their respective companies meant their lives were pretty hectic. Lena was extremely thankful, though, that they still managed to keep in touch despite all that.

“So how are you really?”

Lena doesn’t answer right away. Lana knew everything that Lena had gone through—minus the part about being a vampire and all—and had been a rock for Lena during everything that happened with Lex, the only person to do so, in fact.

“I’m fine,” Lena said, but as always, Lana seemed to see right through her.

“Lex is still calling, isn’t he?”

Lena hesitated again before nodding.

“Do you answer?”

“No,” Lena replied, her voice hard. “It’s been a while since we’ve actually _talked_.” Lena leaves out the part where Lex would threaten her every time he called; she didn’t want Lana to worry about her. She didn’t want anybody to worry about her, quite frankly, but Lana always did and always has.

“I know it’s probably not my place to say this, but are you ever planning on visiting him?”

“No.” Lena’s tone is final as she shakes her head. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to reopen old wounds after I’ve spent years trying to close them.”

Lana nods as she takes two champagne flutes off a tray. “I understand. But he’s your brother, Lena.”

Lena scoffed. “Yeah, my brother who murdered countless individuals who happened to have a different genetic code than him, including his best friend.”

“Look, all I’m saying is that seeing him might provide some sort of closure for you,” Lana said. Lena gave her a confused look, so she continued. “Seeing him again, talking to him, might help you move forward.”

“And how will that help, Lana?”

Lana shrugged as she took a sip of champagne. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in a situation like this before. Maybe he’ll stop calling you.” She turned to face Lena fully. “I can tell that this whole thing is still bothering you, Lena, and I want you to be happy. Seeing Lex might help you get the closure you need.”

Before Lena could come up with a response, Lana’s assistant interrupted them, telling Lana that some of the other patrons were arriving and that she needed to go greet them. Both of them followed the assistant back to the main room where they mingled with the other guests while getting slightly tipsy off champagne, or at least Lana did. It wasn’t long before Lena noticed the familiar combination of honey and vanilla enter the vicinity. She turned around to see Kara Danvers standing at the other side of the room talking with a couple of the patrons, looking absolutely stunning in a beautiful rich blue gown. If Lena had a working heart, she was sure that it would’ve stopped at the sight of Kara Danvers. Kara looked ravishing: her dress brought out the sharp color in her eyes; her golden hair was down and wavy instead of in a tight braid; and her lips were painted a cherry red that guarded a pure white smile. She noticed that Kara was still wearing the black glove and remembers reading about the fire that wiped out a majority of the Smallville pack. She sighed as she thought about how amazing it was that despite the trauma Kara must’ve gone through, she still manages to put a smile on her face every day.

Kara left the room after finishing her interviews and Lena found herself following her, her scent luring her away from all the action. The reporter made her perch at a table just outside the main room, and Lena hesitated, wondering if she should go over there or not. Deciding to through caution to the wind, Lena made her way over, not failing to notice the way Kara’s heartbeat picked up when she finally saw her. “Kara. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

Kara didn’t respond right away; instead, her eyes raked over Lena’s figure admiringly, drinking in the sight of her as if this was the first time they were meeting. “I’m uh,” she started, clearing her throat. “I’m on assignment. I was just about to leave, actually.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” Lena said, furrowing her brow. _Just my luck_. “You’ll miss the speech, though. Lana always gives excellent speeches at these events.”

Kara nodded, smiling almost shyly as she gathered up her reporting gear and began to make her way back inside. Lena wanted to keep talking to her though, so she sidestepped in front of her. “I can provide a quote, if you want.”

“I’m sorry?”

“A quote,” Lena repeated. “For your article.”

“Still want that good word, don’t you?”

Lena chuckled. “That’s hardly the reason. I’ve been watching you interview the entire party here, and I can tell you for a fact that I know Lana Lang a lot more than them.”

Kara narrowed her eyes. “You do?”

Lena nodded, and proceeded to tell Kara how she came to know Lana and how much her friendship meant to her. She was halfway through her story when she noticed the way Kara was looking at her had changed from before, her eyes filled with sympathy that Lena had only seen from Lana. The look was so soft that it almost melted Lena, but it went away as quickly as it came as Kara cleared her throat, thanking “Ms. Luthor” for her time.

“I thought we agreed to drop formalities the last time we saw each other,” Lena said, a teasing smile on her lips. “Kara.”

With that, she turned and walked back into the main room, biting back a smile as she heard Kara getting flustered behind her. Lana got up on the stage just as Lena found a place in the room, smiling with pride as her friend began her speech. Lana was an excellent public speaker, the words coming out of her with such ease and elegance, always enchanting the room whenever her lips parted. She always knew what to say at the right time and that’s what made her a great businesswoman and an even better friend. It was quite the gift, really. Lena’s mind wanders halfway through the speech to their conversation earlier about Lex, remembering the first time that they met. It was her first night at the Luthors’; she was four years old and was scared, but Lex had been quick to calm her fears by introducing her to chess. Lena had won that night, and to this day still thinks that Lex let her win. Nevertheless, it had been the start of a wonderful relationship between them. Lena sadly sighed, wondering where it all went wrong. Maybe this whole thing did bother her more than she let on. Lena clapped when the speech ended along with the rest of the guests, but her mind was far away from the gala, groaning inwardly when she realized that Lana might’ve been onto something.

She hated it when Lana was right.

 

\-----------------------------------

 

The prison doors clanged behind Lena, the sound reverberating through the entire room. It had been two weeks since the gala, two weeks since Lana had encouraged her to do this in the first place, and Lena was starting to have doubts about whether this was a good idea or not. The expression on her face was stoic as a guard led her down a dimly lit hallway towards another door, but inside, she was terrified of what awaited her behind it. “Has he had any other visitors?” she asked the guard.

“Only one,” he replied. “His mother visits about once a month, but other than that, none.”

Lena nodded as he opened the door for her and told her that if anything goes wrong or if she feels uncomfortable, there would be guards in the room with her. Lena thanked him and walked inside the visiting area, the door closing behind her with a clang. Sure enough, four guards were positioned in each corner of the room, despite there being only one prisoner in the room: a large man with a bald head wearing a bright orange jumpsuit with his back to Lena, sitting completely still and straight in the middle of the area. Every instinct within Lena was telling her to run, to get out of that room as quickly as possible, but Lena ignored all of them and moved towards her brother, walking around the table and sitting in front of him. Lex wasn’t paying attention to her, instead looking down at his hands that were handcuffed to the table, unmoving. He stayed like that for several long minutes, and the silence began to overwhelm Lena. What made it worse is that she had no idea of what to say; what do you say to your estranged relative who was responsible for the deaths of thousands? Where do you even begin with that?

“Do you know what today is?”

Lena looked up at Lex, who was now looking at her with a hard look in his once soft blue eyes. She blinked in surprise, thrown off by the question.

“I’ll ask you again, sister. Do you know what today is?”

Lena remained silent, realizing what her brother what asking and grinding her teeth in defiance as Lex wickedly grinned.

“Today is the day that all of this began,” he said. “Do you remember that day, sister? How that day changed everything?” He chuckled. “How ironic it is that the famed Luthor siblings are reuniting on the day that you became a monster?”

Lena stiffened, the memories of that day crashing down on her like a forceful tidal wave. They have plagued her over the past few years, haunting her dreams to this day, so having Lex bring it back up and rub it in her face hurt more than she could’ve imagined.

“Do you remember that day?” he asked again. “Do you remember how you broke my heart?”

“All I wanted was your help, Lex,” Lena countered. “To help me figure this shit out.”

“You forfeited your right to receive help the moment you let this happen to yourself,” Lex snarled.

It took everything within Lena to not attack her brother right then and there, clenching her jaw to keep her fangs from breaking out. The last thing she wanted was to prove her deranged brother right, that she was the monster that he and their mother and others like them saw her as.

“Mother visits often,” Lex said, his demeanor calm again. “She tells me a lot of things, sister, including something about a cute reporter making frequent visits to _my_ office.”

Lena tensed up, her hands curling into fists in her lap as Lex continued.

“Have you found a new victim? One to manipulate and control before you drain them of their blood?”

“I have never done that,” Lena denied vehemently. “I would _never_ do that.” _Let alone to Kara,_ she thought to herself.

Lex laughed maniacally, and Lena saw the madman her brother is, his true colors shining through sending a shiver down her spine. “That’s what all Supernaturals do, sister. They make you think that they’re your friend, that they do care about you, that they are like _us_ until they ultimately stab you in the back.”

“Is that why you killed Clark?”

It was Lex’s turn to tense up, icy daggers in his eyes glaring at Lena. “Clark betrayed my trust,” Lex growled. “He lied to me for _years_.”

“That’s no reason to kill him!” Lena spat back.

“ _HE LIED TO ME!_ ” Lex screamed. “ _JUST AS YOU DID!_ ” He shot up and lunged for Lena, Lena barely getting out of reach as the guards sprung into action and successfully subduing him. They dragged him back towards his cell, but Lex continued to shout obscenities at Lena, snarling and thrashing like a wild animal.

“Clark’s fate will soon be yours, sister! Either by someone else’s hand or my own, you will join him!”

Lena stood there stunned as the door slammed behind Lex and the guards, her brother still shouting all the way down the hall. Numbly, she gathered her things and left, silently thankful that her driver didn’t speak the entire way home. She wouldn’t have been able to speak anyway; her thoughts were loud and jumbled and it made it hard for her to concentrate on anything else.

The elevator ride up to her apartment was long and sluggish, giving her thoughts more leeway to scream at her and consume her mind. She desperately craved a glass of blood, and once she was behind the safety of her four walls, she poured herself one and took a few gulps. Lena looked down at the bloody glass and suddenly felt nauseous.

_You became a monster._

Lex’s words rang in her head like a bell, getting louder and louder the more she thought of them. Screaming, she threw the glass against the wall and began to cry. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and she furiously wiped her eyes, her hands now covered in blood as she raced to the bathroom. She scrubbed her hands over and over again until they were raw, but the crimson stains didn’t go away, causing her to cry harder. Lena sank to the marbled floor, letting out a few pained, shuddered breaths as everything about this day hit her full force. She found it hard to focus on anything else, so in an attempt to calm herself down, she let her senses reach out into the world around her. She focused on the sounds of late afternoon traffic down below her, the strong smells of the restaurants filling her nostrils as the thoughts of Lex and the prison moved to the back of her mind. She did this until she came across a particular sound, a familiar one, and her eyes snapped open.

It was a heartbeat.

It was the heartbeat that belonged to one Kara Danvers.

Lena honed her focus on that, and the longer she listened to it, the more she noticed the way it spiked and dipped, the little ripples as it played a melody that was soothing to Lena’s ears. Kara must be happy, and that made Lena smile. That smile quickly faded though once Lex’s words returned to her.

_Have you found a new victim?_

_One to manipulate and control before you drain them of their blood?_

Lena shook her head and buried her head in her hands. She didn’t know Kara all that well, but Lena knew for a fact that she would never harm a hair on Kara’s head. She wouldn’t become Veronica.

She would _never_ become Veronica.

Lena listened to Kara’s heartbeat for a few more moments before she got up, rinsed off her face as best she could and changed into her nightwear. With a final calming and unnecessary breath, Lena climbed into bed, listening to the sweet heartbeat of the reporter until she drifted off to sleep.

 

\-----------------------------

 

A week later, the lobby of L-Corp was decked out in the finest decorations in time for the gala being held that night. Thankfully, it was already shaping up to be a successful night, which greatly pleased Lena and helped calm her nerves. She had been on edge ever since her visit to the prison, so for the first time in her life, she was looking forward to schmoozing with pompous businessmen in the hopes that they would donate to her cause. At least it would be a distraction.

The gala started at 8 o’clock on the dot, and already the place was filled with investors and businessmen and the like drinking champagne and talking about their latest deals and acquisitions as if they were comparing sports cars or fantasy football teams. It was all rather annoying in Lena’s eyes, but if she wanted the support from these people for the hospital, she would have to play ball for the time being. After greeting and talking with some of the patrons for well over an hour, Lena was grateful to see that Lana had arrived.

“I’m so glad you came when you did,” Lena said to her as they went off to talk on their own. “I don’t know how much longer I could’ve listened to Maxwell Lord talk about his latest prototype for creating clean energy. As if that prick actually cares about the environment.”

Lana chuckled at the statement. “He is rather annoying, isn’t he? And I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Lena. You came to my gala, so it’s only fair that I come to yours.”

“Aren’t you just an angel?”

“I have been called that by the press and my colleagues before, but you saying it is so much better.”

Lena rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. “You will be the death of me, Lana.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that. You’re practically immortal.” Lena tensed up as Lana continued to talk, bringing her voice down to a whisper. “So, did you take my advice about Lex?”

“I did,” Lena said after a while. “It was a mistake. Reopened a lot of old wounds.”

Lana’s face fell. “I’m sorry to hear that, Lena, but sometimes these types of experiences can still be helpful in the long run, and can help us see things a little differently.”

“I still see Lex in the same light as I did all those years ago,” Lena said as she stewed over Lana’s words, knowing that there was some truth to them. The visit with Lex, while painful, did help her see that she would never intentionally harm anyone, no matter what. Especially Kara.

The thought of the reporter made Lena excited, knowing that journalists from several media outlets would be covering the event tonight and that CatCo would be one of them, but she didn’t see her anywhere. She realized that Kara told her she would be out of town this weekend for a family thing, but Lena knew what Kara was really doing. She suddenly had an overwhelming urge to see Kara again, which Lena tried to dismiss as absurd. Kara would be locked up, most likely, in a safe place where no one would be able to find her, and on top of that, she would be a wolf. Further more, she had a gala to run, so she couldn’t just up and leave to go see a person she barely knew. It was all rather silly, and Lena knew that. Nevertheless, the urge remained there for another two hours before Lena couldn’t take it anymore. She buzzed Jess, letting her know that she would be leaving early—“feeling a bit ill” was the excuse this time—before having her driver take her home so she could change into something more comfortable. Wearing a cocktail dress and seven inch heels in the woods was probably not the best idea. After changing into a long sleeve shirt and her only pair of jeans, Lena transformed into a bat and flew back to Midvale.

She lands in a small clearing not far from where she and Kara originally “met”, so she decides to walk around for a bit. The forest, while a bit creepy at night, was rather calming, having this effect on Lena that made her want to come back here more. It was quiet here, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and her job and her life, and Lena rather liked it. She was so caught up in the soothing nature of the woods that she almost didn’t hear the chilling howl that broke through the trees. Lena barely scrambled up a nearby tree just in time as a large wolf with dirty blonde fur and a limp paw charged into the clearing.

_It’s her._

Wolf-Kara sniffed around the bushes a bit so intently that Lena couldn’t look away, freezing only when Kara looked up at her. Their eyes locked on each other once more, neither wanting to break the gaze. They were quite beautiful, Lena thought, both orbs shining like antique gold coins.

 _Mother visits often,_ Lex’s voice spoke in her head. _She tells me a lot of things, sister, including something about a cute reporter making frequent visits to_ my _office._

Lena shuddered at the memory. How the hell did Lillian find out about Kara? Lena was good, excellent even at finding out if she was being followed or spied on, how the hell could she have missed this? Either way, Kara was in danger as long as Lex knew about her, and she didn’t want to think about what would happen if he ever found out about her true nature.

A thought entered her head then, a crazy one that made her want to punch herself in the face for how insane it was. But it was necessary, at least in Lena’s current state of mind. Lena leapt down off the tree and landed directly on Kara’s back. The wolf snarled and howled, trying to buck her off while snapping at her, but Lena held on, wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck and squeezing as tightly as she could. Kara struggled for a while, running up against trees in the hopes of shaking Lena off, but it was no use as she crumpled to the forest floor in an unconscious heap of fur. Lena brushed her hair out of her face as she stood up and looked down at Kara with a guilty look on her face.

“Forgive me, Kara,” she whispered. “I’ll explain everything when you wake up.”


	6. Fangs Bared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You must’ve been pretty hungry to have eaten half the spread here,” Lena said, eyeing the table. “I wasn’t sure how much to make, but I knew you would be somewhat hungry after last night, so I made as much as I deemed necessary.” 
> 
> “Last night?” Kara asked, feeling her throat go dry as Lena nodded. “What—what do you mean by last night?”
> 
> “I saw you last night. In your…other form.”
> 
> Kara’s heart dropped into her stomach. “You…you…”
> 
> “I know you’re a werewolf, Kara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so so sorry for the delay. I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with this chapter, but hopefully I did good and you guys like it! Happy reading!
> 
> Thanks to both Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori and fishingwild for reviewing this beforehand!!

The first thing Kara was aware of when she woke up was how sore her body was. It was as if someone had injected liquid concrete into her veins and it hurt to even move an inch. The second thing she noticed was that she was lying on a very soft mattress instead of the hardwood floor of Eliza’s basement. She bolted upright, something she regretted immediately as all of her muscles screamed in protest. Despite that, all of her senses were still on high alert, and were being assaulted by all the unfamiliarity of her new setting. The room she was in was huge and could fit her entire apartment within it. The walls were a light gray and everything smelled fresh and clean. Kara noticed that it was completely bare other than some pieces of furniture; there were no photos or any kind of memorabilia anywhere, and it made her wonder if the person who lived here was simply lonely or just an extreme minimalist. Below her, she heard the symphony of car horns and shoes pacing on the pavement, so Kara assumed she was back in the city, but how the hell did she get back here?

Where even _was_ here?

Kara decided to investigate, so she swung her legs over the side of the bed despite all of her muscles screaming in protest. God, did she hate the day after the Shift. She winced as she pressed her hand on the mattress, looking down to discover small burn marks on her fingertips. Kara furrowed her brow. How did she get those? She must’ve gotten them last night, but how? Kara barely remember what happened; granted, she never really remembered what happens while she’s in her wolf form, but she all she remembered were a burning sensation and a pair of eyes staring down at her from the sky.

Kara took a few whiffs, but couldn’t make out any definitive scent, which elicited a low growl from her. Her eyes landed on the dresser, where a fresh set of expensive-looking clothes sat underneath a small note written with elegant prose telling her to get cleaned up and that breakfast was waiting for her downstairs for her when she got finished. Kara’s body tensed up as she let out another growl. Someone definitely took her, but the question was who? Despite her curious nature, Kara didn’t feel safe here, and knew she needed to get out of here as soon as possible. There was a window on the side of the room, leading out into an alleyway in the city no doubt, so Kara walked as fast as she could over to it and attempted to open it, but it was bolted shut by something that even her super strength couldn’t break through. She tried to break the glass, but that too was infrangible. Nevertheless, Kara persisted until it became clear that she wouldn’t be leaving this way, or at least anytime soon. She ground her teeth together in frustration, but decided to bite; maybe she’ll get some answers as to what was going on. Kara took the clothes into the bathroom adjacent to the room, turning on the hot water to the shower and relishing in the way it made her body feel, letting her guard down slightly. That didn’t last for long when she got out and went to get dressed when she discovered a single black glove in the pile of clothes, and it was a very nice glove at that. Kara’s stomach dropped; whoever took her here knew exactly how she covered up her scars, and everything within her was telling her to get out of there as quickly as possible. The window was a no-go, so Kara would have to improvise. Hopefully whoever lived here wasn’t here at the moment.

After she finished getting dressed, Kara exited the room and her nose was hit with an array of scents coming down the hall. She followed them into an open area of what Kara assumed to be an apartment, and an incredibly expensive one at that given the size of the living room alone. Much like the room she woke up in, this room was light on personal goods, and was very minimalist in design with only a few pieces of furniture decorating the place. Despite this, the view was spectacular; the windows were ceiling-to-floor, showing Kara the entire view of the city as well as showed her that she was much higher up than she previously thought. If her situation wasn’t so dire, Kara might’ve enjoyed this view, but she turned around in the hopes to find an exit. Her eyes instead landed on a long table on the other side of the room, which was covered in various types of breakfast foods. Kara’s stomach growled as she took in all the cinnamon rolls, pancakes, bacon, and fruit lying out before her, her mouth watering as all the scents washed over her like an ocean wave. Instinct screamed at her that this was a trap, but her stomach told her a different story, so she began to wolf down the food. Kara didn’t realize how hungry she was until now, relishing all of the flavors exploding in her mouth as she scarfed down three more cinnamon rolls and a handful of bacon. She was so engrossed in the food that she didn’t notice the combined scent of roses and mint wafting into the room until it was right behind her.

“Did you get enough to eat there?”

Kara froze mid-bite, swallowing the rest of her food down as she turned around. Lena Luthor was standing behind her, wearing a dark green blouse, black trousers, and a smirk on her face. Kara’s heart quickened its pace; this must be Lena’s apartment. But how did she get here? And _why_ was she here?

“You must’ve been pretty hungry to have eaten half the spread here,” Lena said, eyeing the table. “I wasn’t sure how much to make, but I knew you would be _somewhat_ hungry after last night, so I made as much as I deemed necessary.”

“Last night?” Kara asked, feeling her throat go dry as Lena nodded. “What—what do you mean by last night?”

“I saw you last night. In your…other form.”

Kara’s heart dropped into her stomach. “You…you…”

“I know you’re a werewolf, Kara.”

It was as if the world stopped spinning around her. Lena couldn’t know. She _shouldn’t_ know, but she did know. The vibrant green eyes Kara saw that night, as well as the ones she saw last night, they belonged to Lena. Kara immediately felt nauseous; Lena knew where she Shifted. She knew about Midvale, which meant she knew where Eliza lived. Oh God, Eliza probably didn’t know where Kara was, which meant that Alex didn’t know where she was. That made Kara scared, but more so, it made her _furious_. “Did you follow me?” she growled. “Did you bring me here?”

“You have nothing to fear from me, Kara.”

“Oh, well that’s good to know.” Kara snarled.

“I’m serious, Kara. I mean you no harm. In fact, you’re here because I want to keep you safe.”

Kara spluttered. “Keep me safe? As you said, I’m a _freaking werewolf!_ You know, half-human, half-beast that has the ability to rip people in half if she wanted to.” She took a heated step towards Lena, the wolf within her brimming beneath the surface wanting to break free. “If anything, you aren’t safe right now. Tell me why I am here, Ms. Luthor, before I rip your throat out with my teeth.”

Lena was unfazed by Kara’s threat, not flinching even slightly when Kara raised her voice at her. Instead, she lowered her head and raised her hands to her eyes, which puzzled Kara greatly.

_What the hell is she doing?_

Her question was answered a few moments later when Lena lifted her head, and Kara’s heart skipped a few beats. Gone were the emerald green eyes that Kara had come to associate with the CEO; in their place were eyes the color of garnets, and they were somehow more haunting and enchanting than the former. Nevertheless, this only confirmed what Kara already knew.

“So you are a vampire?”

Lena crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I had a feeling you knew the first moment you stepped into my office, just as I knew what you were that moment.”

“You already knew I was a werewolf?”

Lena flashed a pearly white smile. “I would recognize those eyes anywhere.”

Kara felt her cheeks go red, which prompted a sweet laugh from Lena. “You do have really beautiful eyes, Kara. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” Kara murmured. “I’m just confused. Why the hell am I here, Lena?”

The smile disappeared from Lena’s face, her mouth becoming a thin line. “Like I said, you’re here because I want to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, I heard you the first time.” Kara ran an annoyed hand through her hair, her patience with the CEO quickly running thin. “Keep me safe from _what_ , exactly?”

“Not _what_. _Who_.” Lena looked down and took an unnecessary breath. “My brother.”

The mention of the older Luthor sibling made Kara’s entire body stiffen. Her palms curled into fists and her entire frame thrummed with rage. Lena seemed to notice this and spoke to diffuse the tension. “Don’t worry, he’s still in prison. I visited him a week ago?”

“A week ago?” Kara was about ready to punch something. Or someone. “Why did you visit him?”

“A friend of mine suggested it would be a good idea to get myself some closure.” Lena rolled her eyes, annoyed. “Needless to say, it didn’t go well. He threatened me, which is nothing new, but then…” She paused, and Kara swore she saw a flicker of fear in those red eyes. “Then he threatened you.”

Kara blinked. “Me?”

Lena nodded. “My mother visits Lex about once a month with updates from the outside world, or so he told me, and apparently she has had people follow me for an unknown period of time, and that’s how he knew about you.”

“Are they still following you?”

“I don’t know.”

Kara growled in frustration. “What do you mean you don’t know? You got super senses and the means to take them out.”

“I don’t do that.” Lena shook her head violently. “I’m not a killer. I’m a victim, just like you.”

“Oh no,” Kara snarled, her teeth morphing into fangs the angrier she became. “Don’t you _dare_ equate your struggles with mine. You have no idea what it’s like to lose someone you love, to be the lone survivor, or to transform into a ferocious beast in a small basement and not in the wild with your pack because they are all dead. You have no idea what it’s like…” Kara turned away, willing herself not to break down in front of Clark’s killer’s sister. She would not show weakness to her, not now or ever. Lena didn’t deserve that. She didn’t deserve anything.

“You’re right,” Lena said after a while. “I don’t know what you’ve gone through, and you have my deepest condolences of what happened to your family, but Lex didn’t do that.”

“Lex killed Clark,” Kara countered, turning back around with a hard look in her eyes. “Murdered him in cold blood for the whole world to see. He was family.”

Lena’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she looked down and nodded. “Yes, he was. I’m sorry.”

Kara scoffed and shook her head. “I don’t need your apologies, and I sure as hell don’t need your protection. If Lex ever escapes that shithole, I’ll be waiting.” She turned and headed towards the door, stopping just as her hand touched the handle. Kara turned back around to face Lena one more time. “Don’t ever contact me again. I never want to see or hear from you again.” With that, Kara left the apartment and slammed the door behind her. She was so hyped up on adrenaline and anger that taking the elevator was quickly becoming a bad idea, so she took the stairs, bounding up each step until she walked out onto the roof, where the sounds of the city hit her full blast and nearly knocked her over. Kara blinked as the sun shone overhead; once her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she took in her surroundings and realized where she was within a few minutes. Groaning, Kara ran towards the edge of the building and leapt off, flying through the air until she landed on the next building. She did this until she returned to her apartment district, and had worked up a sweat before landing on her building and taking the stairs down to her home. Kara’s fangs returned to normal when she went down to her apartment, where she found Alex pacing the floors in a nervous and agitated manner, the woman stopping only when she saw Kara enter.

_Here we go._

“Where the hell have you been?” Alex practically shouted as she wrapped Kara up in a constricting hug. “Mom and I have been looking for you all morning. How the hell did you escape? Where were you?”

“Can we talk about all this later, Alex? I’m not in the mood and I have to get ready for work.”

“ _Not in the mood?_ ” Alex repeated as she placed her hands on her hips. “No, you’re going to tell me _exactly_ what happened to you last night.”

“Newsflash, Alex, but I hardly ever remember what happens to me while in wolf-form.”

“Fine. We’ll start with what you _do_ remember.”

Kara groaned, knowing that she wasn’t going to escape this conversation anytime soon, so she moved into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Her anger at Lena was still fresh in her mind, but she couldn’t tell Alex about that; that would only spell more trouble for everyone involved. “Like I said, I don’t remember much.”

“Well, where the hell did you end up?”

“…on the other side of the city.”

“Kara!” Alex yelled. “How did you get over there?”

Kara opened and closed her mouth, finding herself at a loss for words. How did she get over there? She obviously didn’t run all the way from Midvale to downtown National City. Did Lena take her? How did Lena sneak a large werewolf into her apartment without being seen? The city is often quite lively at night, so a person carrying a wolf would definitely not go unnoticed. Kara shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Alex groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “Okay. Well, all that matters is you’re okay and you’re safe. I’ll let Eliza know.”

“I’m sorry for worrying y’all,” Kara said, lowering her head sheepishly.

“Apology accepted,” Alex replied as she sent a text to her mother. “Just stop escaping and we’ll be golden.”

“Stop locking me in the basement and we wouldn’t have this problem.”

“Kara, I’ve told you several times, we keep you in the basement for your own safety and to prevent situations like _this_ from happening.” Alex sighed. “You shouldn’t have been able to escape in the first place.”

Kara smirked. “I guess your special locks weren’t so special.”

“Not funny, Kara.” Alex’s eyes widened when they landed on Kara’s red fingertips. “What happened to your hand?”

“Oh. I don’t know,” Kara said as she reexamined her hand. “I think I got them last night.”

“Last night?”

“Yeah. Now that you mention it, I do remember a burning sensation in my hand, and…I think it was last night. I don’t remember how I got it though.”

Alex nodded slowly, not saying anything. Kara looked up just in time to see a strange look pass over her eyes, but before she could ask what was wrong, Alex said goodbye and left the apartment. Kara furrowed her brow; it wasn’t like her sister to act like that around an injury, given her job in the human world and the fact that she had tended nastier wounds Kara had gotten over the years, so why did she just…leave? Kara shook her head and ran a hand through her messy hair. This day was leaving her with more questions than answers, and if she wasted any more time, she was going to be late for work, and she did not want to deal with Snapper’s grumbles this morning. Kara got up and discarded the clothes that Lena got for her, making a mental note to donate them or at the very least burn them, before taking another shower and putting on proper work clothes. She also applied a special lotion that Eliza had whipped up for her for her scars to her freshly burned fingers. Kara knew they would heal in a couple of days, but this would just help speed the process. She had used the lotion on her other burn scars when she was younger, but the damage was too great so she was stuck with them for the rest of her life.

Once Kara was ready, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs to hail a cab to work. As she sat in the backseat of the yellow car, her mind couldn’t help but drift back to her encounter with Lena earlier that morning. What game was Lena playing at anyway? Why go out of her way to take Kara to her apartment to tell her what Kara assumed was just a fabricated story? But was it all a story? What if Lena was telling the truth, that Lex did know about Kara? Did he know about Alex as well if that was the case? Did he know about Eliza? Kara would never know now that she told Lena to get lost, but it didn’t matter.

Still…the way Lena had been acting while talking about her brother was strange, almost as if she was terrified of him, and honestly Kara didn’t blame her. Lex had been the face of terror for years before he was finally captured and locked away in a hole before having the hole thrown away. The mere thought of the man made Kara’s blood boil; he could rot in that hole for all she cared. Nevertheless, the fact that Lena was so adamant about keeping Kara safe from him bothered her. Kara couldn’t help but think this was some sort of trap; that Lena was somehow teaming up with Lex to finish the job or something like that, but the look in Lena’s eyes…Kara couldn’t shake it out of her mind no matter how hard she tried. She sighed as she exited the cab, forcing the image out of her head as she headed upstairs to face another workday.

 

\---------------------------------

 

Lena stalked into L-Corps well after one o’clock, dark sunglasses adorning her face to hide her irritated eyes. She had a lot of calls waiting for her as well as a few meetings that she had Jess reschedule; she wasn’t expecting to arrive this late. Lena had spent a majority of the morning cleaning up the food she had made for Kara—food she had spent most of the previous night making—and drinking enough blood that would sate her until the evening. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to counteract the guilt and shame Lena was feeling. Her argument with Kara—if you could call it that—was still fresh in her mind, and Lena knew that what she did was not only wrong, it was unethical. She took Kara out of her element without her permission in an attempt to keep her safe from what? Lex? He was locked up in a maximum-security prison and was watched over 24/7, so what could he do? He could send some men to deal with her and Kara, and as Kara heatedly pointed out, Lena could easily “take them out”, but Lena couldn’t stomach even the thought of doing something like that. She couldn’t stomach the thought of what she did to Kara, and Lena chastised herself for letting her paranoia get the better of her and ruining a potential friendship with Kara. Unlike a majority of the people in her life, Lena actually liked Kara and wanted to get closer to her, but that was never going to happen now, not after the stunt Lena pulled. The barely hidden disgust in Kara’s voice before she left all but shattered Lena’s un-beating heart, and she only had herself to blame. She was so angry with herself that she didn’t notice the fear in Jess’s eyes when she walked into her office, the burning anger quickly morphing into ice-cold fear when she saw her mother standing in the middle of the room.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Lillian turned around, her signature devilish smirk on her face as she took in the sight of Lena. “Well, look who decided to show up. Your assistant told me you were out, so I decided to wait.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Lena grumbled.

“Come now, Lena. That’s no way to talk to your mother. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Lena scoffed as she moved past Lillian to go to her desk. “It’s been years since we’ve spoken, Mother, and whenever you do visit, you always have an ulterior motive. So what is it this time?”

“Very well,” Lillian said. “I went to visit Lex the other day to check up on him and he told me the funniest thing. He said that you paid him a visit not too long ago.”

Lena gritted her teeth as she sat down. “Yes, I did.”

“May I ask why?”

“Do you really need to know why, Mother?”

“Yes,” Lillian replied, shocked that this wasn’t obvious. “You haven’t seen your brother since the night he was arrested, so color me surprised and suspicious, but Lena, if you threatened my perfect boy—”

Lena cut off Lillian’s accusation with a sharp laugh. “I didn’t threaten your ‘perfect boy’, Mother. In fact, it was the other way around. He’s threatened to kill me several times, did you know that?”

Lillian scoffed. “Honestly, dear, I’m surprised you lasted this long.”

Lena clenched her jaw, feeling her fangs pierce her bottom lip as they struggled to break free. _Not right now._ “How long have you been having me followed?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Lex told me you were having me followed. Why?”

Lillian arched an eyebrow, moving over to the table near the sofa where Lena kept her antique chessboard and picking up the white queen to examine it. “I wanted to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn’t do anything…distasteful.”

“Wouldn’t do anything of the sort, Mother.” Lena growled, her fangs itching to come out.

“No?” Lillian asked. “So I guess the blonde reporter that you’ve been seen with is nothing to be worried about?”

Lena stiffened, lifting her head up to give her mother a piercing, warning glare. “Leave her out of this.”

“She already seems to be a big part of this,” Lillian countered, closing her fist around the chess piece. “I never thought you would stoop so low, Lena. Controlling someone to earn their affection,” she grimaced. “Now that’s cold.”

That did it. Lena shot up in anger, baring her dagger-like fangs at Lillian and hissed. “ _Get. Out._ ”

Lillian didn’t so much as flinch, smirking as she put the piece back in its place. “As you wish.” She picked up her purse and walked towards the door, Lena’s eyes never leaving her, before she turned back around. “Put those things away, dear. Wouldn’t want the wrong person seeing you for what you really are.” With that, Lillian left, closing the door behind her.

Lena let out a low snarl as she sat back down, covering her face with her hand as she forced her fangs back behind her lips. She hated Lillian. She wanted nothing more than to rip her throat out just so she could shut her smug face up, but she couldn’t do that. She would not become the monster her family took her to be. She wasn’t a monster.

_I’m not a monster._

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Lena began to start her work, knowing she would be here well into the night to catch up on all of it since she came in late today. Just as she was about to get started, her cellphone rang. Lena almost didn’t answer it; that was, until she saw who was calling her and immediately picked up.

“Sam?”

“ _Lena?_ ”

Lena’s body froze at the terrified tone in her friend’s voice. “Sam? What happened? What’s wrong?”

“ _I…I don’t know,_ ” Sam said, sounding as if she was hyperventilating. “ _But I—I need your help._ ”

Lena was already grabbing her bag and walking out the door. Work can wait. “I’m on my way.”


	7. The Curious Case of Samantha Arias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you sure everything’s okay, Mom?” Ruby asked as she put her backpack on the kitchen table. 
> 
> Sam sighed. “Yes, baby. Everything is okay.”
> 
> “It’s just that…Grandma kept saying that you might not be human, that you might have…powers.”
> 
> “I don’t have powers,” Sam said, groaning inwardly at Patricia for talking like this around her daughter. “I am one hundred percent human, just like Grandma and just like you. That’s what Dr. Danvers said, and I trust her professional opinion. I’m sorry for scaring you, but everything is okay now. I’m okay. Tell you what, how about we have pancakes for dinner tonight?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori and fishingwild for reviewing this beforehand. Y'all are the best!!!

**ONE MONTH EARLIER**

 

Sam awoke to an incredible ache in her body and the wound of voices whispering next to her. She blinked slowly, and the room slowly came into focus around her, at least from what she could see. The first things she noticed were the bland, white walls and the harsh smell of disinfectant permeating the room. Sam’s chest tightened; this definitely wasn’t the office, so where was she? She wasn’t wearing the slacks and button-down she was wearing earlier, instead wearing a thin garment under a thinner, colorless blanket that covered her body up to her shoulders.

Ah.

She was in a hospital.

Why was she in a hospital?

Taking in a sharp breath, Sam attempted to sit up, a pained groan escaping her lips as her stiff limbs screamed their protest. The whispers next to her had ceased, now morphed into exclamations and sighs of relief as her mother, Patricia, and daughter, Ruby, came into view, the latter launching herself onto her.

“Ruby. Ruby, I can’t breathe,” Sam coughed. Ruby let up on her embrace, the tears swimming in her small brown eyes causing Sam to choke up as well. “What are you guys doing here? What happened? Are you okay? How long have I been here?”

“We’re fine, sweetie,” Patricia said. “And you’ve been here for a few days. I got a call saying that you had been brought in and that we had to be here as soon as possible.”

Sam felt her heart drop. “What happened to me?”

A knock sounded on the door just then and a lady doctor entered, her eyes widening when they landed on Sam. “Oh, you’re awake. That’s good.”

Sam felt her eyes widen as well as the doctor walked further into the room, forgetting the pain she was in for a blissful second. She was the most beautiful woman Sam had ever seen, with kind brown eyes, stunning short red hair, and a smile that melted her insides.

“I’m Dr. Danvers,” the doctor said. “How are you feeling, Ms. Arias?”

Sam groaned, the pain returning tenfold. “I feel like I got hit by a bus.”

Dr. Danvers gave her a small yet comforting smile, and some of the pain lessened. “Well, feeling like that is normal, especially for someone who went through what you did.”

“And what was that exactly?”

The doctor hesitated for a slight second. “We aren’t completely sure at the moment. From what I can tell, it was a mugging gone wrong. Do you remember anything that happened?”

Sam’s stomach dropped. _A mugging gone wrong?_ She threw off the blanket covering her and was almost sick to her stomach when she saw all the bruises covering her arms. Patricia let out a gasp and Ruby’s eyes widened significantly.

“What the hell…?”

“What the hell indeed,” Dr. Danvers murmured as she leaned down to examine Sam. “These were much deeper in color this morning and even deeper yesterday.”

“What?”

“You’re healing at an incredible rate, which I find strange since your tests show that you are human.”

This was all too much for Sam, so she began to freak out. Her breaths become quicker and shorter, and her heart began to quicken its pace as she looked at Dr. Danvers with wild eyes. “Please let me go. I need to go.”

“You’ll be going home soon,” Dr. Danvers said soothingly, “but not right now. You still need to rest and heal some before we release you.”

“Please-please-please! Just let me go!” Sam shouted, throwing her head back as she thrashed about. “I need to be with my family!”

She screamed and shouted to be let go for God knows how long until she was overcome with a wave of exhaustion and numbness. Sam fell back against the pillows, the last thing she saw before the darkness overtaking her was the soft eyes of Dr. Danvers.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

It was significantly darker when Sam awoke next, her limbs feeling as if they were injected with liquefied lead. Her mind was still groggy and her mouth was dry; her stomach was growling violently. When was the last time she ate? She couldn’t remember as she slowly sat up. _What time is it?_ The clock on the wall read 9:52 p.m. Sam blinked. How long was she out? The door to her room opened suddenly, and Sam let out a squeal.

“Oh!” Dr. Danvers exclaimed. “I’m sorry for startling you. I wasn’t expecting you to be awake.”

“I wasn’t either,” Sam croaked out. “How long was I out?”

“Long enough to miss dinner,” Dr. Danvers said as she walked over so Sam’s side, the latter’s heart rate increasing with each padded step. The doctor reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. “Thought you would be hungry.”

“Isn’t that yours?”

Dr. Danvers shrugged. “I think you need it more than I do.”

Sam smiled, grateful for the gesture, and gladly accepted it. “Thank you, doctor.”

Dr. Danvers nodded. “How are you feeling?”

“Still a little stiff,” Sam said around a mouthful of chocolate bar. “I take it my family left.”

“Yes, a few hours ago.”

Sam hung her head low. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Your reaction was totally normal for someone in your position.” Dr. Danvers pulled up a chair and sat down next to Sam. “I meant to ask you this earlier, but I was wondering if you remember what happened to you at all last night?”

Sam swallowed the last bite of her chocolate bar, furrowing her brow in nervous concentration. She shook her head after a few moments. “All I really remember is working a late night at my job and…feeling really angry about… _something_ …but I can’t remember anything else.”

“That’s okay,” Dr. Danvers said. “Again, this is totally normal for someone who experiences some form of trauma.”

“When will I go home?”

“Well, at the rate your body’s healing, I’d say in two, three days tops.”

Sam looked down at her arms. According to Dr. Danvers, her arms looked much worse, and she had only been in the hospital for one day. This shouldn’t be possible. “Am I…uh…am I a Supernatural?”

Dr. Danvers shook her head. “All your tests came back negative. You’re one hundred percent human.”

Sam nodded as the doctor stood up and straightened out her scrubs. “Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate it.”

Dr. Danvers smiled. “I’m just doing my job. Try and get some rest now. I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that, Dr. Danvers left the room, leaving Sam alone once again. Sam sighed. Several emotions were running through her at the moment; first and foremost, there was the anxiety at not knowing what happened to her. If the bruises were anything to go by, she was violently attacked, but she thought she would remember something like that vividly. Then there was the other reason for her heart palpitations, which was Dr. Danvers. Sam was enthralled by the lady doctor, and felt herself being pulled to her by an invisible force. Her eyes were dark yet inviting, and her smile…God, her smile. Sam could look at it all day and never get tired of it. That was never going to happen, however; she was a single mother with a thirteen-year old daughter and a demanding job where she worked all sorts of hours. Depended on what Maxwell Lord needed. Sam sighed again. She leaned back against her pillows, the sound of the ticking clock lulling her back into a restless sleep.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Sam stayed in the hospital for the next two days, her bruises healing almost completely by the time Patricia and Ruby had come to take her home. While the quick healing did unnerve Sam somewhat, she accepted it because it meant she would go home faster and be with her daughter sooner. Patricia, on the other hand, wasn’t so quiet about it as she practically ordered Dr. Danvers to run several more tests on her daughter, but every single one came back negative of anything indicating that Sam might be a Supernatural.

“There must be something!” Patricia had exclaimed. Sam rolled her eyes. “Bruises don’t heal _that_ fast, even I know that.”

“Will you shut it, Mom?” Sam groaned. “Please.”

Patricia had dialed it down a bit, which Sam was thankful for, but she was even more thankful for Dr. Danvers. The doctor had been so friendly and so professional, and Sam was a little sad when Dr. Danvers gave her the all clear earlier in the afternoon. Patricia and Ruby brought a change of clothes and a bag of Big Belly Burger. Before Sam left with her family, Dr. Danvers gave the woman her number. “Just in case you experience any other symptoms we may not have caught or if you remember something,” the doctor had said with her signature smile. “Or if you just want to talk.” Sam’s heart twinged as she thanked Dr. Danvers for her kindness before leaving with her family.

The ride back to Patricia’s house was silent as they ate their burgers, but Sam could feel the tension rolling off Patricia in waves. When they finally arrived at their destination, Ruby bounded upstairs to her room to finish up her homework for tomorrow’s school day while Sam and Patricia remained downstairs. Of course, Sam knew the quiet wasn’t going to last for long.

“Are you sure you don’t remember anything?” Patricia asked, her voice wavering a little.

Sam sighed. “I’ve told you already, many times in fact, that I don’t remember a thing.”

“It’s that horrendous job you have,” Patricia spit. “That man, Lord, making you work all hours of the day. Not to mention that his facility is located in the worst part of town.”

“It’s only for a little while, Mom,” Sam said.

“You said that a year ago, Sam.”

“I know, I know.” Sam pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, taking a deep breath. Why did almost all of her conversations with Patricia always end up like this? “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I just want to sleep.”

Patricia scoffed. “You slept plenty back at the hospital.”

Sam’s heart leapt into her throat, all of her late-night conversations with Dr. Danvers coming back to her. The thought of the doctor made Sam’s heart ache a bit, the parchment containing her number burning a hole in Sam’s pocket. Her fingers itched to pull out her phone and call her, but she was probably busy at the moment and Sam didn’t want to bother her right now. Besides, what would a doctor want to do with a single mother trying to make ends meet?

“Honestly, I think that doctor made a mistake letting you go.”

Sam furrowed her brow. “Excuse me?”

“Sam, there’s no way those bruises healed has fast as they did if you were just a regular human.”

“Mom…”

“Don’t you think you might be—?”

“I’m not!” Sam exclaimed, fists curled and muscles coiled. “I have had it up to here with your Supernatural talk. _I am not a Supernatural!_ ”

“Mom?”

Sam turned around to see Ruby standing atop the middle of the stairs, a confused and worried look in her big eyes. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s okay, sweetie. Did you finish your homework?”

Ruby nodded.

“Good. Go get your stuff, we’ll be leaving in five minutes.”

“Sam,” Patricia began to protest, but Sam shut her up with one sharp look.

“I appreciate everything you’ve done, Mom, and thank you for taking care of Ruby while I was otherwise incapacitated, but it’s time for us to go home.”

Patricia opened her mouth to say something, but closed it promptly and sucked in a breath. “I hope you’re right, Sam.”

Sam ground her teeth together as her and Ruby made their exit. The ride to their house was just as silent as the ride to Patricia’s, with neither Sam or Ruby speaking until they were in the confides of their home.

“Are you sure everything’s okay, Mom?” Ruby asked as she put her backpack on the kitchen table.

Sam sighed. “Yes, baby. Everything is okay.”

“It’s just that…Grandma kept saying that you might not be human, that you might have…powers.”

“I don’t have powers,” Sam said, groaning inwardly at Patricia for talking like this around her daughter. “I am one hundred percent human, just like Grandma and just like you. That’s what Dr. Danvers said, and I trust her professional opinion. I’m sorry for scaring you, but everything is okay now. I’m okay. Tell you what, how about we have pancakes for dinner tonight?”

That seemed to satisfy Ruby, who smiled and went upstairs to wash up. Sam went into the kitchen, getting all of the ingredients out of the fridge and pantry and got to work making pancakes, maybe too many pancakes by the time Ruby came back down, but they were both starving so they didn’t care. They decided to eat in the living room that night, so Ruby turned on the TV as she recounted stories of what happened during this past week at school. The house was soon filled with the Arias women’s laughter as they talked and joked until their bellies were full and eyes were heavy. Sam carried a sleepy Ruby up to her bedroom and tucked her in, placing a soft kiss on her temple before turning in herself.

 

\-----------------------------

 

The next three weeks pass by relatively quickly and normally as possible. Sam had returned to work the day after she was discharged, knowing that she was going to have a mountain of work greeting her when she returned, and true enough, her desk was overflowing with paperwork. Sam sighed. She was incredibly thankful for the opportunity Lord Industries had given her, but at the same time, couldn’t believe that Maxwell Lord wasn’t privy to give her any help during her time away. Nevertheless, Sam drove straight back into her work, working long hours in order to catch back up, much to the chagrin of Patricia and, to some degree, Ruby. Sam hated being away from her family for so long and she hated the fact that this was almost proving Patricia right in her criticisms, but she wasn’t about to let that deter her. She promised Ruby that she would make up for lost time with a girls’ night this weekend, but just as she got into work earlier this morning, a new batch of work was waiting on her desk. Turns out, Lord had green-lit a new project and it was all-hands on deck, and Sam hated hearing the disappointment in her daughter’s voice when she called her to tell her she would be staying late another night.

It was three days later and well after midnight when Sam finished up the first batch of her work; she barely made a dent in it, and she was exhausted. Nevertheless, she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, so she decided to go home and sleep. Ruby was staying the night at Patricia’s; the babysitter had canceled last minute, and Sam was incredibly thankful for her mother stepping in to help out, even if there were sharp words and sharper glares from the older woman. Sam groaned inwardly at herself as she headed towards her car. She really needed to find another job, and soon. Once she finished the work on Lord’s new project, she’ll leave. She didn’t know where she would go once she left, all she knew is that she couldn’t stay for much longer, no matter how good the pay was. Sam wasn’t going to miss out on any more of Ruby’s life.

Sam finally fished her keys out of her purse and went to unlock her car when her ears picked up commotion from the other side of the parking garage. She looked over and saw two of her coworkers, George and Janice, by a row of cars, and Sam couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable Janice looked at what George was saying to her. Sam furrowed her brow and began to make her way over to them, her confusion quickly morphing into anger the moment George forcefully puts his hands on Janice.

“Hey, hey, hey! Get your hands off of her!” Sam managed to break them apart with ease, pushing George away with a strength she didn’t know she had. She gave Janice a nod to get out of here before turning back to George, an unbridled rage within her eyes. “What the hell, George?”

“Sam, let me explain.”

“I don’t think you need to, I think I got it from what I saw.”

“I was just asking her out.”

Sam scoffed. “Is that why you _grabbed_ her?”

George’s face morphed into a sneer, sending a small chill down Sam’s spine. “This isn’t any of your business, Sam.”

“You made it my business the minute you laid your hands on Janice, George, and I’m going straight to Lord with this tomorrow. I can promise you that.”

Just as Sam turned around to walk back to her car, she felt a large hand close around her arm.

“You aren’t going to tell anyone,” George growled, yanking her back hard. Sam yelped in pain as her vision went wonky, her breathing increasing rapidly as she struggled against George’s hold on her.

And then, everything went black.

 

\----------------------------

 

The throbbing in her head was the first thing Sam noticed when she woke up. Slowly, she pushed herself up off the ground, all of her muscles screaming in protest as she grit her teeth. Her vision was incredibly hazy, but she was still able to make out that she was no longer in the parking garage—she were in some sort of alleyway from what Sam could tell—as well as the bloody bruises adorning each of her knuckles. Sam’s eyes widened significantly. What the hell happened?

The answer came in the form of George’s unconscious body lying a few feet away from her. Sam screamed and backed away as fast as she could, her eyes unable to look away. Her coworker’s face was mottled with bruises, his throat had a dark red line across it, and his clothes were practically torn to shreds; it was only due to the slight rise and fall of his chest that clued Sam that he wasn’t dead. Sam began to panic, her breaths becoming more rapid as her chest began to fold in on itself. She had to do something and she had to do it quick. She glanced around, finding her purse next to George and hurriedly fished her phone out. She called an ambulance for her coworker before going to call Dr. Danvers, her heart sinking when she realized she didn’t save the number she gave her. Running a panicked hand through her hair, Sam decided to call the other person she knew would help her, no questions asked.

“ _Sam?_ ”

 _Oh thank God._ “Lena!”

“ _Sam? What happened? What’s wrong?_ ”

“I…I don’t know,” Sam spluttered, her breaths short and quick. “But I—I need your help.”

“ _I’m on my way._ ”


	8. Test of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Anything?” Sam asked, but Lena shook her head. 
> 
> “Everything’s normal, Sam.”
> 
> “That can’t be possible,” Sam murmured, shaking her head violently. “Try again.”
> 
> “Sam, I have been trying. For several weeks now, and I haven’t found anything wrong with you.” Lena huffed. There was more to the story here, she knew it. “Why are you so worried about this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving for those of you who celebrate. For those who don't, I hope y'all had a lovely weekend! This one's a bit short, but I wanted to get this out there before the real meat of the story hits. Hope you guys like it!
> 
> Thanks again to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori and fishingwild for reviewing this beforehand. Y'all rock and I really appreciate y'all.

Lena sat at her desk in her personal labs, deep in the bowels of L-Corp, typing away on her computer and writing down notes in her notebook in an almost furious manner. She had spent the last month down here trying to find out what was wrong with Sam. When she had gotten the call from her friend the other day, Lena was worried about her, especially after seeing how distressed Sam was when she picked her up. Lena had offered to take her to the hospital, but Sam flat out refused, saying that Lena was the only one who could help her. Lena didn’t get much else out of Sam after that, so she did what she could; she ran several tests, mostly brain scans and blood tests and the like, but so far, she had found nothing abnormal. Nevertheless, Sam kept telling her that something was wrong, so Lena kept digging, being the curious scientist that she is. She had even taken a whiff of Sam’s scent when the latter wasn’t paying attention, but didn’t smell anything that would allude to her being anything other than human. Lena growled in frustration; she was getting nowhere with this, and the lack of results was beginning to take its toll on her. She looked over her notes and the results from all of Sam’s numerous tests, trying to see if there was anything she missed, when she heard movement behind her. Sam lay on a faux hospital bed a few feet away from Lena’s desk, wires attached to her forehead and arms, and she was stirring from her slumber. Lena got up out of her seat and walked over to her friend. “Hey, sleepy-head. How are you feeling?”

Sam groaned. “A little groggy, but fine.”

“Good.” Lena typed a few keys on her pad and pulled up the results of Sam’s latest scan.

“Anything?” Sam asked, but Lena shook her head.

“Everything’s normal, Sam.”

“That can’t be possible,” Sam murmured, shaking her head violently. “Try again.”

“Sam, I _have_ been trying. For several weeks now, and I haven’t found anything wrong with you.” Lena huffed. There was more to the story here, she knew it. “Why are you so worried about this?”

Sam is silent as she clenched her jaw and fists, breathing in and out so sharply that it almost hurt Lena’s ears. “This isn’t the first time this thing has happened. The first time, I woke up in a hospital, covered head to toe in bruises that had healed completely in only a few days. This was two months ago. The second time and most recent one, I woke up in a dark alley with one of my coworkers, who was unconscious and also covered in bruises.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, Sam. What happened?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out!” Sam cried, her eyes quickly filling with tears. “All I remember is getting into an altercation with George and then everything went black.”

Lena remained silent. This definitely wasn’t normal. “I’m so sorry, Sam, and I wish there was more I could do to help you, but I think you should go home to your family.”

“What? No! What if something happens?”

“Nothing will happen, dear,” Lena reassures softly, placing her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I promise.”

Sam shook her head. “I didn’t believe my mother when she first told me something might be wrong with me. Now that this has happened more than once, I’m inclined to believe her.”

“For the last time, Sam, nothing is wrong with you.” Lena huffed. She hated seeing her friend this way and she wanted to help her, but she had done all she could. “Maybe a walk in the fresh air will calm you down. I think it could do us both some good. Come on, let’s go.”

 

\------------------------------------

 

If there was one thing Lena loved about National City, it was the nightlife; the city always seemed to come to life once the sun went down, and Lena always enjoyed watching the people of the city going about their lives. She liked watching them walking down the street, laughing with their friends, holding hands with their romantic partners, none of them seeing to have a care in the world, at least in this moment of time, and Lena was envious of them.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lena was brought out by her thoughts at the sound of Sam’s inquiry. She blinked and adjusted the sunglasses adorning on her face. “Nothing important.”

Sam hummed, pointing to her friend’s face. “And why are you wearing those things this late at night? Can you see well in them?”

“I see well enough.” Lena could actually see very well, everything and everyone outlined in stark detail. “And they’re for keeping other people from recognizing me.”

Sam laughed airily. “I think they’ll draw more attention than keep it away.”

Lena rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Sometimes I wish I was a normal person.”

“Why’s that?”

Lena sighed. There were so many reasons, so many ways to answer that question. Where to begin? “None of these people have to put on a face, at least not to the degree that I do. They can just go about their lives not having to worry about being recognized in public, or for being recognized in public as the sister of a mass murderer.” There was also the fact that Lena was also not human; she was thankful that she could go about living her life unlike some other Supernaturals, who were confined to their homes and the like because of their appearance, only coming out on times when it was appropriate, such as Halloween. Lena chewed her inner lip in contemplation. There has to be something she could do to help with that…

“Well,” the sound of Sam’s voice brought Lena back to reality, “I think you should just enjoy this moment while you can. I mean, this was your idea after all, to get me out of the lab and back into the real world to forget about everything.”

“And is it working?”

“For the most part, yes. Thank you, Lena, for everything.”

Lena nodded, smiling. “Of course.”

They continued to walk until they passed in front of a dark alleyway, and Lena’s nose was assaulted with a combination of scents, ranging from stale beer, sweat, a vaguely familiar mix of honey and vanilla, and several scents of strange blood, all coming together to form a sledgehammer to Lena’s senses.

“Are you okay?”

Lena turned to see Sam looking back at her, concern etched on her face. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Lena turned back around to locate the origin of the scents, her eyes centering in on a bar at the end of the alleyway. “Do you want to get a drink?”

Sam shrugged and agreed, and the two make their way towards the bar. They entered the facility, Lena moving her glasses to the top of her head, and the first thing that she noticed was how cozy it was. The bar felt extremely homey and safe, and all the patrons seemed to be really friendly; that’s when Lena noticed that not all of the patrons looked normal.

Sam must’ve noticed it too. “Lena, what is this place?”

Lena’s eyes scanned the place: she saw a person with scales on their arms and another with fins instead of ears. She saw someone whose eyes were as black as charcoal. Another was flashing their fangs in a toothy smile as a clawed hand lifted up a drink. Even the bartender had pointed ears and whiskers coming out of his face. Lena felt a chill running down her body when she realized what this place was.

“This is a Supernatural bar.”

Sam’s eyes widened significantly. “A Supernatural bar? Then why the hell are we here?”

Lena shrugged as she turned around. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Wait.” Lena’s head swiveled back around, seeing Sam looking at one of the booths at the other side of the room. “I know her.”

“Who?” Lena followed Sam’s line of vision and saw a group of people sitting in a booth, chatting and laughing and drinking a variety of drinks. There was a small man with short brown hair and a hypnotizing smile; a larger man wearing a tie and nursing a glass of amber liquid; a woman with short red cropped hair wearing a dark blue sweater; and a woman that Lena recognized and was the owner of the vanilla and honey scent: Kara Danvers.

“Sam, I think we should leave.” Just as the words left Lena’s mouth, Sam walked over to the booth and Lena’s eyes bugged out. What was Sam doing? Growling lowly, she followed Sam over to the booth, trying to remain out of sight by hiding behind her friend.

“Dr. Danvers.”

“Hey, Ms. Arias!” Dr. Danvers greeted, smiling widely. “How are you? How are you feeling?”

“I’m good, I’m good.” Sam folded her arms across her chest. “A lot better actually.”

“That’s good. And please, call me Alex. We aren’t in the hospital.”

Sam chuckled. “Well, in that case, call me Sam.”

Lena noticed the way Sam’s heart fluttered as she talked with the doctor, the dips and skips it made, and she fought to hide her growing smile. Her girl had a crush! Sam was crushing hard on Alex, and Lena found that quite amusing. That feeling quickly went away when Sam moved to the side and introduced her to the group, Kara’s eyes finding her and all the joy fading from them.

“This is my friend, Lena.”

Almost immediately, everyone’s smile faded; the men are just staring at her dumbfounded while Kara and Alex were shooting daggers at her. Lena couldn’t look away from Kara’s hateful gaze, her blue eyes a maelstrom of anger and disgust and Lena’s stomach curdled as the memories from a month ago came crashing back into her mind. She knew she was unwanted here, so she quietly excused herself and left as quickly as she could, prompting Sam to follow her.

“What the hell was that?” Sam demanded once they were both outside.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Lena murmured, hating herself for even coming here. She should’ve recognized Kara’s scent the moment she smelt it. Now Kara was going to think Lena was stalking her.

_Great._

Lena pulled out her phone to call her driver to take her and Sam back to their respective homes, but Sam wasn’t having it. “Did you know those people back there? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I did, but you were already on your way over there. How do you know them?”

“I only know Dr. Danvers. She was the one that treated me at the hospital.”

“Oh,” Lena said. This was a small world after all. “She seems nice.”

“She is,” Sam said, smiling. “But you obviously knew the other woman. I could tell something was up by the way she was looking at you.”

A lump formed in Lena’s throat. “She…she probably knows me as the sister of Lex Luthor, Supernatural-killer. Nothing more.”

Sam scoffed. “Look, I know we haven’t seen each other in a long while, Lena, but I can always tell when you’re lying and you’re lying right now.”

“Can we just talk about this later, Sam? It’s late and I don’t want to keep you from your family any longer—”

“ _Shut up!_ ”

Lena froze at the commanding tone that Sam used, disturbed by its unfamiliarity, and her eyes went wide when Sam’s eyes flashed a bright red for a split second before reverting back to their original color. “Sam,” Lena started, holding up her hand. “Sam, are you okay?”

Sam blinked in confusion. “Yeah, I’m…I’m fine. Why?”

“You don’t…you don’t remember your outburst just now?”

“What outburst?”

 _Oh God._ Lena put her phone away, her eyes wide with shock as she placed her hands on Sam’s shoulders. “We need to go back to the lab.”

“What? Why?”

“I think you might’ve been right before,” Lena said warily. “About you.”


	9. Mending Fences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara manages to get through the lobby of L-Corp fairly easily. She told the receptionist she was there for a last minute interview with the CEO and was immediately let up to the top floor, where she was greeted by Lena’s assistant, Jess. 
> 
> “Ms. Danvers,” Jess greets. “It’s good to see you again. Ms. Luthor is in a meeting right now, but she should be out very shortly. You’re welcome to wait in her office.”
> 
> “Thank you, that would be great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! My family and I were moving all weekend so I couldn't upload anything. This chapter is short, but I promise longer and better updates will be coming in the future for all of my stories. I hope y'all like this one!!

Kara stares at the blank page before her, words unable to form even though she had all of her notes spread out on her desk before her. This article on the remodeling of the fashion district was due by the end of the day and wasn’t going to write itself, but Kara’s mind was elsewhere, specifically at the bar she and her friends were at a few nights ago when she saw Lena for the first time in weeks. Kara didn’t what to feel.

At first, she felt livid; she was angry at Lena for seemingly following her there, for interrupting her fun night with her friends and her sister. It wasn’t until much later when Kara had cooled down when she looked back and remembered the look on Lena’s face: it was a look of complete shock and fear, as if she wasn’t expecting to see Kara there. Maybe Lena didn’t know what that place really was. How would she, considering her status in the human world both financially and personally? Lena seemed like the type of person who was closed off and introverted, so it made sense that she wouldn’t know. She wasn’t alone, after all; maybe her friend knew about the bar. The friend seemed to know Alex, but that was a train of thought for another day.

Seeing Lena there did bring back memories of the kidnapping incident, so Kara did let her emotions get the better of her in the moment when she glared at Lena with unbridled hatred, but now that she’s given some time to think it over…maybe Kara was a little too harsh in her treatment of the CEO. Her head was telling her that she had every reason to be furious with Lena, that her anger was justified, but her heart was telling her a different story, that Lena was maybe telling the truth about…well, everything.

A thump to the skull brings Kara out of her thoughts. “Ow!” A brand new blue pen lay on atop her notes and Kara bit back a growl. “Real mature, Winn.”

The Fae boy laughs lightheartedly. “You know you get this crinkle between your eyes when you’re deep in thought? So what you thinking about? Or rather…who?”

Kara scoffs and rolls her eyes. “You’re a lot more annoying when you aren’t drunk.”

“Oh, I know.” Winn grins cheekily. “But I’m fun either way.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“So what’s up?”

“Nothing’s up.”

“Ah ah ah.” Winn leans forward in his chair, a playful glint in his dark eyes. “You’re lying.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I come from an entire species of deceivers and liars. I always know when someone is lying to me. So tell me, Kara Danvers, what is on that pretty little mind of yours? It wouldn’t happen to be a raven-haired, emerald-eyed dame whose initials both start with the letter ‘L’, wouldn’t it?”

Kara’s entire body flushes. Before she could come up with a heated retort, James walks over. “What’s going on over here?”

“We’re working, James,” Winn explains, his smile wide and fake. “Always working, right, Kara?” He winks at her, and Kara resisted the urge to throw her stapler at his face.

“Actually, Kara, I need to speak to you.”

James turns away and walked back towards his office. Kara sighs exasperatedly before standing up and following him, ignoring Winn’s smug smile and little wave. Kara entered James’s office, where he was leaning against his desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest, but before Kara could say anything James spoke. “I remember the day Clark died.”

Kara stiffens and her jaw clenches. This wasn’t the way she was expecting this conversation to go, and depending on how it went, she wasn’t going to like how it ended.

“It felt like I lost a limb,” James continues. “I know I’m not a werewolf and I don’t have a pack. Hellhounds are usually solitary creatures. But I considered Clark to be my pack and he considered me to be his. What I’m trying to say is I know how hard it is to be confronted with those memories every day. Seeing the sister of the man who murdered your cousin mustn’t have been easy, but I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

Kara takes a shuddering breath as she adjusted the glasses on her face. “Thanks, James, but I’m fine.”

“I know,” James says. “You’re strong, just like he was. His legacy, your pack’s legacy, lives on through you. You keep fighting against people like the Luthors and fight for who you are. Make them proud.”

Kara nods, thanking James once more before returning to her desk as his words ran once more through her brain. She did want to keep fighting and she definitely wanted people who were like the Luthors and did what they did to face justice, but at the same time she had an inkling that not all of the Luthors were guilty. Putting that thought aside, she opens her laptop and cranked out the article in a little under half an hour. She deposits it on James’s desk and went to go on her lunch break, planning to text Alex if she wanted to meet at the local deli, but the thought from earlier stops her just as she reached the elevator doors. If Lena was innocent, if she was telling the truth all along, then Kara deserved to know. She puts her phone away and stepps into the elevator, her decision made as its doors closed before her.

 

\--------------------------------------------

 

Kara manages to get through the lobby of L-Corp fairly easily. She told the receptionist she was there for a last minute interview with the CEO and was immediately let up to the top floor, where she was greeted by Lena’s assistant, Jess.

“Ms. Danvers,” Jess greets. “It’s good to see you again. Ms. Luthor is in a meeting right now, but she should be out very shortly. You’re welcome to wait in her office.”

“Thank you, that would be great.”

Jess shows her into Lena’s office and Kara thanks her before she returned to her desk. Kara stands in the middle of the room and took in her surroundings. In her previous visits here, Kara hadn’t noticed how bare Lena’s office was, almost devoid of pictures, flowers, or any sort of decorations. The only item that might have some personal worth was the chessboard in front of the couch. Kara sat down before it and picked up one of the pieces, the white knight, and observed it. In her initial research of the younger Luthor, Kara learned that Lena had gone to MIT, graduated in the top of her class, and was a chess prodigy, winning trophy after trophy since she was in the 2nd grade. Kara had never really been interested in chess herself, only having played a few games with Alex when she was younger. She hated it because she always lost.

The door to the office opens suddenly and Lena walks in, looking extremely exhausted for someone who wasn’t capable of physically aging. She notices Kara sitting on the couch and jumped back a few feet, placing a hand over her unbeating heart. “Jesus, Kara, you scared the living daylights out of me.”

Kara hastily puts the piece back on the board and stands up, straightening out her skirt and fixing her glasses. “I’m sorry, I know this is unexpected, but I wanted to talk to you.”

“It’s fine,” Lena says as she waved away Kara’s apology and walked back over to her desk. “Wait. You wanted to talk to me?”

Kara’s cheeks flush red and she nods feebly.

“Okay. I’m assuming this is work-related, so you can have a seat here. Do you want something to drink?”

Kara shakes her head. “No, that’s okay, and I’m actually here for personal reasons.”

Lena looks back up at her. “Oh? Oh. You want to know why I was at the bar the other night.”

“That’s partially the reason.” Kara sits down so she’s facing Lena. “Seeing you there did bring back some old feelings, and not good ones. I thought you followed me there, but I know you didn’t.”

“How do you know I didn’t?” Lena counters. “I could’ve been following you all this time.”

Kara shook her head again. “I don’t think you’re the kind of person that would do that. Besides,” she adds quietly, “I would recognize your scent anywhere.”

Lena’s expression softens and Kara’s cheeks burn hotter at the confession. “So why are you here?”

“Maybe I was too harsh with you,” Kara admits after several moments of silence. “And I want to apologize for my behavior.”

“What? Kara, no, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who should be apologizing! I practically kidnapped you the last time we saw each other, for Christ’s sake.”

“Yeah, that was really uncool.” Kara says, adjusting her glasses to hide the blush in her cheeks. “But I know now that you aren’t your brother and I’m sorry for letting past grievances and grudges cloud my judgment of you.”

Lena returned Kara’s smile. “I accept your apology. Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“Of course,” Kara nods. “I have to get back to work.”

Before Kara leaves, Lena speaks again. “I know this is probably too much, but I was wondering if you want to have lunch with me tomorrow.”

Kara hesitates for a moment. There was something different about this: all of her instincts that would normally tell her to run, that this was a bad idea, were now telling her to take Lena up on her offer. She thinks about James’s words from earlier and could see the disappointed look on his face if she agreed to this. She could see the looks on all their faces if she agreed to this. In the end, it was the hopeful expression in Lena’s eyes that cemented Kara’s decision. “I would like that.”


	10. Lunch Dates and Stolen Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t expect you to believe me,” Lena continues, her eyes looking down at the food instead of Kara. “Especially after everything that’s happened between us, but it’s how I felt. It’s how I still feel and that’s why I invited you back.”
> 
> Kara’s heart twinges. “I, uh, I hope that I’m able to feel that way about you one day.”
> 
> Lena nods. “I hope so, too. I also hope that we can still be friends.”
> 
> “It’s possible.”
> 
> \----
> 
> Kara and Lena grow closer and Lena makes Sam a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone!! 
> 
> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori and fishingwild for reviewing this beforehand! Y'all are amazing!!!

Kara walks through the glass doors of L-Corp the following day with a large bag of Big Belly Burger in her hand. After being waved through by the main floor receptionist, Kara makes her way up to Lena’s office. She had no idea of what to expect; she had been thinking about this lunch date—where they calling it a date? Kara had no idea—all night, feeling both excited and anxious about having lunch with Lena. This wasn’t an interview or a meeting of any professional manner, this was a personal get-together of two people sharing a meal. Knowing that vampires could still eat regular human food thanks to conducting research for articles in the past, Kara decided to bring burgers not knowing if Lena was going to provide food or not. She probably was considering she was the one who invited Kara, but Kara didn’t want to show up empty-handed regardless.

The elevator doors open on Lena’s floor and Kara is shown immediately into Lena’s office, where a large spread of Chinese food and the CEO were waiting for her. Her eyes widen and her stomach growls at the sight, the bag of burgers feeling heavy in her hand now.

“Hey,” Lena greets softly. “I…I didn’t know what to get, so I got all of this. I probably should’ve told you beforehand, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Kara says, waving away Lena’s apology. “Chinese is actually my favorite.”

The CEO manages a nervous laugh. “I’ve been craving burgers for the longest time, so I guess we’re both good.”

Kara smiles and looks down, trying to hide the color growing in her cheeks. This lunch was off to an interesting start. They both sit down on the couch and divide the food up between them; Kara was starving, so she was thankful that Lena had gotten a lot of food. “I want to ask you,” she begins as she scoops more potstickers onto her plate, “why did you want to have lunch with me?”

Lena takes a bite of a fry, chewing in silence and shrugging slightly. “I want to get to know you better.”

“Why?”

“To be honest, I don’t really know,” Lena says. “But I know that from the moment you walked into my office the day we officially met, I immediately felt like I could trust you, and I don’t feel that way with just anyone. It took me a few weeks before I could fully trust Jess.”

Kara’s brows rise in surprise at the confession. Now she certainly wasn’t expecting this.

“I don’t expect you to believe me,” Lena continues, her eyes looking down at the food instead of Kara. “Especially after everything that’s happened between us, but it’s how I felt. It’s how I still feel and that’s why I invited you back.”

Kara’s heart twinges. “I, uh, I hope that I’m able to feel that way about you one day.”

Lena nods. “I hope so, too. I also hope that we can still be friends.”

“It’s possible.”

The next few moments are spent eating food in relative silence. Kara mulls over Lena’s confession in her head, still surprised that despite the CEO barely knowing her, she still trusts her. That part wasn’t hard to believe, actually, as Kara thought about it more; Alex often said that she had the approachability factor of a golden retriever, so Kara could see why Lena would feel that way. It also made sense given her history, but before Kara could think any more on the subject, Lena’s voice brings her back to reality. “Are you okay with this?”

Kara furrows her brow. “Okay with us eating lunch? Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve never really done anything like this before. I don’t have a whole lot of friends outside of work, and even then I’m quite alone. I also just want to make up for everything my family and I have put you through.” Lena sighs and closes her eyes. “My family has done so much horrible shit over the years that now that’s all they’re associated with. It’s all that I’m associated with, and I want to move past that. My goal is to make this company a force for good, to move it out of my family’s shadow and make something of it and of myself. Can you understand that?”

Kara nods without realizing. “I do. And I’m willing to give you a chance to do so.”

Lena smiles and lets out a breath of relief. “Thank you. That means a lot to me coming from you.”

Kara smiles back, her heart swelling at the sentiment. Maybe this was a good decision after all.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Kara blinks in surprise at the random question, her mouth opening but unable to form a response. “Uh…”

Before she could answer, however, Jess barges in. “Ms. Luthor, your one o’clock is here.”

“Thank you, Jess. Tell her I’ll be right with her.”

Jess leaves and Kara sees a look of regret on Lena’s face. “I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about this other meeting I have. But you better have an answer for me tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes, tomorrow. That is…if you want to come back.”

Lena wrings her hands together nervously and avoids Kara’s gaze for the most part, and the reporter immediately felt as if she was seeing a side of Lena that most people never got to see: a vulnerable side, a relatable side, a shy side. So what made Kara so special that she was able to witness it? “Tomorrow sounds great. Should I…should I bring anything?”

Lena looks back up at her and smiles widely. Kara’s heart raced at the sight. “Only if you want to.”

“Okay,” Kara says. “Do you need any help cleaning this up?”

“Oh no, I can handle it.”

“Okay. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Kara picks up her bag and leaves the office with a smile on her face, finding herself looking forward to tomorrow and eagerly anticipating it.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

Sam rushes into Lena’s office just as the CEO finishes cleaning up the last remnants of lunch. “Have you found anything? Also, did you have Chinese?”

Lena nods. “Burgers, too.”

Sam furrows her brow. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Lena Luthor? The Lena I know wouldn’t touch anything with MSG with a ten-foot pole.”

Lena laughs as she throws the last container away. “I’m still the same me, Sam.” _Despite the fact that I’m now a vampire_ , Lena thought silently. “I promise.”

“I believe you. Oh! I almost forgot why I was here! Did you find anything from the test results? You said you would have them today.”

Lena’s smile fades from her face slightly. The night they went to the bar, when Sam’s eyes had flashed red for that brief second, Lena knew that she had missed something in her previous tests. She had taken Sam back to the lab that night to run even more tests, but once again, she had come up empty. However, she had come up with an idea, a theory as to why she wasn’t finding anything.

And she knew that Sam wasn’t going to like it.

“I may have found something,” Lena says. “It’s in my lab. Follow me.”

They both head down to the lab, and when they get there, Lena tells Sam to wait in the chamber. The latter is confused, but complies. Once she is inside, Lena shut her inside, but was still able to see her friend via the glass walls.

“Lena?” Sam asks. “What the hell are you doing? Let me out.”

“Why should I?” Lena inquires, taking on a different tone that even scared her. “You said it yourself that you might be dangerous. I’m just taking necessary precautions.”

“This isn’t funny, Lena. Let me out!”

“Does Patricia know what you did?” Lena continues, hating herself for doing this but knowing that there was no other way. “Does Ruby know? What would they think about you if they knew?”

Sam clenches her jaw and her eyes go hard. “Don’t bring them into this.”

“I’ll tell you what will happen.”

“Just stop!”

“They’ll see you as the monster you fear yourself to be—”

“Lena!”

“The monster that you are.”

That seemed to be the breaking point for Sam because she let out a loud scream and banged her fists against the glass wall, cracking it a little. Her eyes go red and her mannerisms become wild; she continues to scream and hit the wall violently, and it terrifies Lena to witness. Her kind and sweet friend was gone, and in her place was a rabid creature that Lena didn’t recognize. Nevertheless, it did prove her theory correct, but she needed to do something else in order to solidify it. Grabbing a needle off her desk, Lena dropped the protective barrier, and Sam wastes no time in attacking her, pinning her to the desk and frothing at the mouth. Lena bares her fangs in response, shocked at how strong Sam was now and how quickly she was able to move and overpower her. She struggles underneath the strength of Sam’s grasp, but is ultimately able to plunge the needle into the side of Sam’s neck. Sam roars in agony, giving Lena the opportunity to push Sam off of her and knock her out with a single punch. Lena takes in a few sharp breaths as her mind processes what just happened; she examines the needle in her hand, now filled with Sam’s blood.

Time to see if her theory really is correct.

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

It takes another couple of hours for Sam to regain consciousness. She groans as she sits up, rubbing her neck all the while. “What happened? I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.” She looks up and sees Lena looking at her strangely from her place at the desk. “Lena? What’s wrong? Why are we down here?”

“I told you that I found something.”

Sam’s eyes widen. “You did? What is it?”

Lena turns around and pulls up two images side-by-side. “These are blood samples I’ve taken from you. The left one I took from you a few days ago, and the one on the right I took a couple of hours ago.”

“Wait, what?” Sam stands up and walks over to Lena, her brow furrowed. “What do you mean a couple of hours ago?”

Lena doesn’t answer but continues with her explanation. “You see how different they are on a cellular level?”

“Yeah, but what does that mean?”

“It means…it means when you become angry, the cells in your blood change into something else completely. In other words, it’s almost as if you become a different person.”

Sam’s heart drops. “How—how is this possible?”

“I don’t know,” Lena shrugs. “All I know for sure is that this does make you some kind of Supernatural.”

Sam shakes her head and backs away slightly. “This can’t…I mean…it’s not possible. All the tests at the hospital…”

“They only tested you as Sam,” Lena says. “I tested you as your…other half.”

“My other half?”

Lena nods, and Sam’s body tenses up. “You mean you riled me up just to get all this?”

“I had to, Sam. I told you I was going to help you figure out what this is, and I did. You’re a Supernatural, that much is clear, but what kind…that’s still up in the air. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“You should’ve told me, at least.”

“It wouldn’t have worked if I did.”

Sam rolls her eyes and lets out a frustrated groan. “I can’t be a Supernatural. I’m supposed—I’m supposed to be human! Oh God, what if my mother is one? Why would she keep something like this from me?” Her eyes widen and her heart drops into her stomach. “What if Ruby is one? What if she’s…whatever the hell I am? I can’t—she can’t live like this!”

“Okay, Sam.” Lena rushes over and places her hands on Sam’s shoulders. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll come up with something to help you deal with you other side.”

“I don’t want to deal with my other side,” Sam growls lowly. “I want to get rid of it?”

“What?”

“Get rid of it,” Sam repeats, finally looking up to meet Lena’s worried eyes. “You’re going to make a cure for me. I don’t care how long it takes, but once you do, the first thing I’m doing is giving it to Ruby.”

“Look, Sam, we don't even know if she has the gene—”

“She’s my daughter, Lena! I brought her into this world! Half of her genetic code is mine, so there’s a good chance she has this gene!” Sam leans in close to Lena’s face. “If the roles were reversed, I would do the same thing for you.”

Lena’s jaw clenches, but her gaze is unwavering. “Fine. I’ll help you. I’ll start as soon as I can.”

Sam lets out a breath of relief as she hugs her friend. “Thank you.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

Kara exits Noonan’s with a large bag in her hand, almost tripping over her own feet she was walking so fast before hailing a cab to take her to L-Corp. On the way there, Kara did some self-reflecting, mainly on her changing feelings on Lena. She found herself excited for lunch; she was checking her watch all morning at work, and if it wasn’t for her super-hearing, she would’ve missed what James said in the pitch meeting completely. Kara practically flew out of the building when her break came along, and sitting in the cab now, the fact that she did that kind of scared her. Kara knew that vampires did have an ability that helped them to “glamour” people; in other words, they could control a person and make them feel completely devoted to the vampire controlling them. Kara thought that Lena might be glamouring her, but she wasn’t so sure. From what she gleaned during her research, people that were glamoured didn’t remember any of it, that they lost time while they were under the vampire’s spell, and Kara was remembering every moment she was spending with Lena. Nevertheless, Kara was feeling a certain type of way when she was with the CEO. She found herself wanting to spend more time with Lena, to get to know her better, something she would’ve never done just a few days ago. But here she was with a bag of Noonan’s famous sticky buns in her hand riding up the elevator to Lena’s office. Eliza had always said that the world worked in mysterious ways, that it had a way of making certain things happen or having completely different people come together to make something good of the world, and Kara couldn’t help but think that applied to her and Lena now. Whatever was going on, Kara’s curiosity was still piqued and she was looking forward to what was next.

Jess shows her in as usual, greeting her kindly with a smile on her face, and she sees Lena sitting at her desk as expected. But Kara immediately sensed that something was off. Lena was intently focused on whatever was on her laptop, but she looked pretty down about something, and Kara disliked seeing Lena like this. She gently knocks, causing Lena’s head to shoot up, and her expression softens almost instantly.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve been working on a project that is proving to be much harder than I initially anticipated, and I completely forgot to get food, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Kara holds up the bag. “I’m thankful my sweet tooth was feeling particularly strong today.”

Lena smiles and manages a small laugh as she leads Kara over to the couch and they get a sticky bun each.

“So what kind of project are you working on?” Kara asks.

“That’s classified. It’s also extremely personal, not to mention I don’t fully know what I’m doing or how I’m even going to pull this off.” Lena smiles, though. “You know, I invited you over here for lunch and not an interview.”

“Sorry. It’s a habit.”

“It’s okay.”

“Yeah. This is all new for me, too.”

Lena raises a brow, her mouth curving into a playful smirk. “Care to explain?”

“The only people I’m really close with are my sister, my adoptive mother, Eliza, and a couple of friends from work, as well as a few family friends that I occasionally see.”

“Are they all Supernaturals?”

Kara nods. “They are. None of them are werewolves, though.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. My kind doesn’t usually live in big cities like this. We prefer open areas, like the country. As far as I know, I’m the only werewolf in National City.”

“I can’t imagine what that must be like,” Lena says sadly. “Being the only one of your kind in a place like this.”

“It can get pretty lonely sometimes, I’m not going to lie. But thankfully, I have people I can lean on and trust, people that I consider to be my family.”

Lena smiles. “I’m happy for you.”

“You must feel lonely, too. Not because you’re a Supernatural, but because of what happened with your family.”

“I’m used to it. That’s been my life for as long as I can remember.”

Kara’s brow knits together as she turns to face Lena fully. Coming from pack culture, living alone was something that Kara never understood and thankfully never had to truly experience. “You don’t deserve to live like that. No one does.”

“Thank you, Kara. I appreciate that.”

Kara takes a bite of her sticky bun, chewing and swallowing before speaking again. “My favorite color is blue.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Blue. That’s my favorite color.”

“Oh. _Oh_. Sorry, I totally forgot.”

Kara laughs. “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t remember until just now.”

“Why is blue your favorite color?”

“It’s such a calming color. It…it helped me a lot after my pack was killed.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you. You didn’t deserve that either.”

Kara flexes the fingers of her gloved hand. “I miss them a lot and some days are harder than others, but I know they want me to keep going, to keep living, so that’s what I’m doing.”

“I know they’re proud of you.”

Kara smiles sadly. “So what’s your favorite color?”

“I, uh, I don’t really have one.”

Kara’s jaw drops in shock. “Are you being serious right now? Everyone has a favorite color. _Everyone_.”

“I’m the oddball out,” Lena says as Kara shakes her head.

“This has to change _now_!” She begins to look around the room for clues as Lena sits by her side laughing. “Is it…gray?”

Lena shakes her head.

“Black?”

Another head shake.

“Orange?”

Lena laughs, smiling a bright smile that made Kara’s heart leap into her throat. She hopes that Lena didn’t hear that, even though they both have super-hearing. “It’s none of those. I just don’t have a favorite color.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Kara looks up at Lena’s eyes and lightbulb goes off in her head, as well as a rush in her chest. “What about green?”

“Green?”

“Yeah. Your eyes are green, I mean, your contacts are. I’m guessing there was a reason you chose them.”

Lena nods slowly. “Before I was turned a few years ago, I had green eyes. I guess I wanted to establish some sense of normalcy after the fact.”

Kara’s heart drops. “I’m so sorry. I—I had no idea you were turned so recently.”

“It’s okay. Not a whole lot of people know outside of my family and I intend to keep it that way, at least for now.”

“I understand. I didn’t mean to bring back any bad memories or anything of the sort at all.”

“It’s okay, Kara. I’m just…not ready to open that can of worms yet.”

Kara feels a twinge of guilt in her chest as Lena picks at her sticky bun forlornly. Everything she had heard about Lena or had ever thought about her was wrong; Lena _was_ a victim, just like she was, and Kara ached for her. “You know for the record, your eyes are very beautiful.”

The ache in her chest lightens slightly at the sight of Lena smiling, albeit sadly. “Thank you, Kara. For talking and listening to me, for the food, for everything. I think this could be the start of a great friendship.”

Kara smiles as well, her lips stretching into a wide grin. “I was just thinking the same thing.”


	11. Leap of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara stops in her tracks and Lena follows suit. Her senses were immediately on high alert, but they were quelled with a look from Kara. “Even though we’ve only known each other for a short period of time, you’ve quickly become an important person in my life. My stance on you has completely changed and I’m so incredibly thankful that I emailed you back.”
> 
> Embarrassed, Lena looks down at her feet. “I’m thankful you did, too. I also care a great deal about you. It’s…it’s been a long while since the last time I’ve said that about anyone, but I’m really glad it’s you.”
> 
> \----------
> 
> Kara's feelings for Lena grow, but just as she comes to terms with them, the unexpected happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori and fishingwild for reviewing this beforehand. Y'all are seriously the best!!

“I won’t be coming by tomorrow.”

Lena furrows her brow. “Why not?”

“I’m heading to Midvale to celebrate Eliza’s birthday…and for my Shift.”

“ _Oh._ ” Lena closes her eyes and covers her face with her hand. “Right. Is it horrible that I completely forgot all about that?”

Kara laughs. “Not at all.”

“I’m such a horrible person.”

“You’re not a horrible person, Lena. In fact, you’re far from it.”

Lena smiles and Kara feels the heat rising in her cheeks at the sight. “Thank you, Kara. That means a lot coming from you.”

“Anytime. I will be back soon, so you won’t be getting rid of me that easily.”

“Whoever said I wanted to get rid of you?”

Kara’s heart flutters in her chest and she adjusts her glasses again in an effort to hide the growing blush on her face. “You—you know what I mean.”

“I do,” Lena chuckles. “I hope you have a fun trip.”

“Thank you. I’ll be seeing you the day after tomorrow.”

“Wait, isn’t the full moon tomorrow night?”

Kara nods. “That’s why I’m going back a day early to celebrate Eliza’s birthday. It’s not all that often those two events coincide on the same day.”

“And you’re not going to take the day off?”

“Day off?”

“After your Shift,” Lena clarifies. “Tell me you at least take one day off after that.”

Kara smiles sheepishly and Lena gasps. “Kara Danvers, you don’t rest after a Shift?”

“It’s fine, Lena,” Kara chuckles. “I’ve been doing this for all of my adult life, so it’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?” Lena repeats, her eyes wide. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Shifting hurts and it takes a lot out of you. You deserve a day to relax. I’m going to call Snapper and tell him just that.”

“No, no, that’s okay,” Kara says. “Why is this so shocking to you? Don’t you work insane hours?”

“I do because I’m a CEO of a large company and because I’m literally dead. I don’t get exhausted, unlike you! You need to rest properly!”

The gesture makes Kara smile softly and her heart flutter. “Why do you care about me resting so much?”

“Because…because I care about you, Kara.”

Kara blinks in surprise, her jaw going slack. “You do?”

“I—I know it sounds silly because we haven’t known each other for that long, but it’s true,” Lena says shyly. “I just want you to be healthy.”

Kara blushes. “I appreciate that, thank you. It’s just…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to,” Lena interjects, but Kara pushes on.

“No, it’s okay. I care about you, too, and I want to be honest with you.” Kara takes a deep breath before continuing. “Whenever I Shift, my whole perspective changes. I feel free. I feel connected to everything around me, to the earth, the trees, the spirits.”

Lena raises an eyebrow. “Spirits?”

“Uh,” Kara blushes harder. “I can sort of feel my pack running with me whenever I run, and it always fills me with peace. That feeling goes away when I wake up the next morning and the emptiness I feel is unbearable. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world, so when I was able to find a job or a hobby that was time-consuming, I jumped on it, using it as a distraction to lessen the pain I felt and it worked. It still works. I would gladly suffer through a lifetime of aches and soreness and stiffness and just physical discomfort in general over the fire burning a hole in my heart every day.”

“I’m so sorry, Kara,” Lena says. She takes Kara’s hand in her own and gives it a light squeeze. “You don’t have to say anything more if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay. The only other people I’ve told this to are Eliza and Alex. Not even Winn and James know this. It—it feels good to be able to get it off my chest with other people.”

“You’re very brave in telling me, and I appreciate that you trust me enough to tell me.”

Kara smiles sadly and feels tears begin to sting the back of her eyes. Not wanting Lena to see her cry, Kara removes her hand from Lena’s and stands up, straightening her skirt with her hands. “Thank you for lunch. I’ll see you soon.”

“Promise me you’ll get some rest, Kara,” Lena says. “Please?”

“I’ll do my best.”

“And Kara?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay to mourn,” Lena says seriously. “It’s okay to miss your loved ones and to put time aside to do so.”

Lena’s words hit Kara in her core, and she clenched her jaw to keep herself from crying. “I mourned at the funeral.” _Even though there were no bodies._ With that, Kara took her leave, wiping her stray tears on the elevator ride down before making her way towards her and Alex’s usual meeting spot. Unfortunately, the spot was halfway across town, and Kara couldn’t just sprint there unless she wanted to get unwanted attention, so she opted for a cab ride knowing that she was going to be late.

_It’s okay to mourn._

_It’s okay to miss your loved ones and put aside time to do so._

Lena’s words echo in Kara’s mind for the entire ride, washing over her like a tidal wave that her cheeks were wet by the time she reached her destination.

“Took you long enough,” Alex cries out as Kara walks up, two large duffle bags in hand. “Tell me why you couldn’t pack your own stuff again. We should’ve been there an hour ago…wait, what happened? You look upset.”

“I’m fine,” Kara growls. “Just open the portal.”

_It’s okay to mourn._

Alex gives Kara a look before using arcane magic to open a portal to Midvale. They land right outside the border of Eliza’s cottage, meaning the protection charms were still in place and were still working effectively. Nevertheless, Alex always took it upon herself whenever they came back here to check up on them to make sure, so Kara went on ahead to the cottage to get settled in. When she gets there, she sees Eliza in the kitchen already preparing the meal for tonight; something that Kara and Alex should’ve been doing if they left on time and Kara wasn’t hanging out with Lena.

_It’s okay to mourn._

“Ah, Kara!” Eliza exclaims when she sees Kara and moves to give her a hug. “I was wondering when you were going to show. Where’s Alex?”

“Checking the protection spells.”

“Ah, of course she is. Always the perfectionist, your sister. Well, come on and help your mother with her birthday dinner.”

_It’s okay to mourn._

Kara moves to help Eliza, but her body freezes.

_It’s okay to mourn._

The smells of spices and peppers and veggies and meats mix together to form what Kara would’ve once considered savory into something rather rank.

_It’s okay to mourn._

Everything around her starts to slow and a heavy feeling forms in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

_It’s okay to mourn._

“Kara?”

_It’s okay to mourn._

“Kara, honey, are you okay?”

_It’s okay to mourn._

Her vision begins to darken.

_It’s okay to mourn._

_Stop._

_It’s okay to mourn._

_STOP!_

_It’s okay to mourn._

_SHUT UP!!!_

_It’s okay to mourn._

Suddenly, everything went black.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara opens her eyes to a dark room and an ache in her head. Groggy and confused, she sits up slowly as her vision came into focus; she was in her childhood room, but she didn’t remember how she got here. The door to her room opens and her sister enters with a bowl of something that smelled absolutely mouthwatering. “Thought you might be waking up now,” Alex says, handing the bowl over to Kara. “How are you feeling?”

“Like crap,” Kara groans. “What happened?”

“You had a panic attack in the kitchen.”

Kara’s mouth goes dry and her throat closes up as Alex looks at her with concern in her dark brown eyes. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?” she asks.

“Nothing’s going on,” Kara says, but Alex shakes her head.

“Kara, you haven’t had a panic attack in _months_. Something is going on and I want to help.”

The sisters sit in heavy silence for several long minutes, Kara running through different explanations in her head but none of them sounding good enough for Alex. In the end, she sighs. “I’ve been thinking about my pack lately, mainly my parents. I just…I just really miss them.”

Alex’s expression softens and she moves to sit next to Kara. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s totally okay to miss your pack, especially on nights like tomorrow night.”

“I’m sorry,” Kara cries, tears flowing down her face at an alarming rate now. “I don’t…I’m not…I’m really thankful for you and for Eliza and everything the both of you have done for me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without you guys. I would—I would go as far as to say I consider you my pack now, and I would do _anything_ —”

“Kara.” Alex interrupts Kara’s rambling, causing the blonde to blush slightly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m also very grateful for you and the impact you’ve had on my life, and I’m so proud to call you my sister, but Kara, never, _ever_ apologize for missing your old family. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss my dad, and I’ll admit that some days are harder than others, but I keep going because of I have people in my life that care about me and who are worth living for.”

Kara is full on crying now as Alex wraps her up in a tight hug and gently rocks her back and forth, but her heart was full and overflowing with love for her sister. “Do you want me to leave you alone right now?”

After a few seconds, Kara nods.

“Okay. Eat your stew and come down when you’re ready. Eliza also wants to talk to you.”

Kara groans, but Alex just laughs. “It’s not a bad thing. She just wants to make sure you’re okay. You gave her quite the scare earlier.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Eat up. We’ll be downstairs.”

With that, Alex gets up and takes her leave, closing the door behind her. Kara leans back against her pillows and breathes out a long, deep sigh. She was thankful that the talk with Alex went well; it actually reminded her a lot of what Lena had told her.

Lena.

Kara shot back up at the thought of the CEO, a burning desire to see her again growing and growing by the millisecond despite Kara not really knowing the reason why. Nevertheless, she still wants to see her, so Kara throws off her blankets and gets her phone out of her bag, shooting Lena a quick text asking if she wanted to meet up and talk and hoping that she would say yes.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

It’s a little after eight o’clock when Lena’s phone dings. She groans in frustration, not wanting any distractions from the work she was doing; however, that all dissipated when she saw that it was Kara who had texted her.

**Kara: Want to come over?**

Lena furrows her brow. She wasn’t expecting that.

**Lena: To Midvale?**

**Kara: Yeah!**

Lena laughs to herself, touched by the gesture.

**Lena: Is it okay with your family?**

**Kara: They don’t know. I…I kinda want it to be just the two of us.**

If she wasn’t undead, Lena would definitely be blushing right now.

**Lena: Okay. Where would we meet?**

It’s a while before Kara responds.

**Kara: How about the woods where we first “met”?**

Lena’s eyes widen. She really wasn’t expecting that. Her curiosity piqued, she texts back.

**Lena: I’m on my way over now.**

She lets Jess know she’s taking the night off and that she should too before making a quick pit stop by her apartment to change into a sweater and jeans. Transforming into a bat, Lena flies over to Midvale and touches down in a dark patch of woods. She relishes in the quiet, in the scents and the soft sounds of the forest, letting them all wash over her like a calming wave. She was so caught up in the feeling that she didn’t notice Kara walking towards her.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Lena lets out a shocked yelp that sent some of the sleeping birds flying away through the wood and caused Kara to laugh. “Don’t be too loud, okay? I mean we are a considerable distance away from the cottage, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

Lena laughs too, more so from embarrassment though, but feels much more at ease when she meets the kindness swimming in the ocean of Kara’s blue eyes. She was completely mesmerized by them and had been since their first official meeting, and Lena was always surprised to see the raw sincerity in them whenever she interacted with Kara. It made her feel less alone and if she had a working heart, it would skip a beat every time she locked onto them.

Realizing almost a second too late that she was just staring at Kara, Lena looks away and coughs loudly, folding her arms across her chest as she tried to think of something to say and make this situation a little less awkward when Kara speaks instead.

“Are you cold?”

Initially caught off guard by the question, Lena recovers quickly. “I’m a vampire,” she says, forcing a laugh. “I’m always cold.”

Kara doesn’t laugh; instead, she removes the jacket she was wearing from her person and hands it to Lena. “Oh no, Kara I can’t.”

“It’s okay, take it.”

“I’m fine. Besides, don’t you need it?”

Kara smiles. “One of the perks about being a werewolf is a higher body temperature than most humans, so technically I don’t need it.” She extends the jacket to Lena once more, who accepts it after hesitating a few more seconds. The first thing she notices when she puts it on is how incredibly warm it is; the second is how much it smells like Kara, which makes Lena smile.

“So you just basically called yourself hot?”

Kara’s cheeks turn a dark crimson and Lena laughs as the former leads her through the woods. They walk in silence for a bit before Kara speaks again. “So…how was the rest of your day?”

Lena shrugs. “It wasn’t bad. Just really stressful, especially during a meeting with the board that would’ve and should’ve ended sooner if one of the members wasn’t so goddamn stubborn and dead-set against my every decision.”

“I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Lena smiles, the gesture once again touching her. “Spending these past few days with you has helped a lot. More than you could ever know, so thank you—ah!”

She trips on an overgrown root that she had overlooked, but luckily Kara catches her, gracefully pulling her back up and returning her to her feet. “I’m so sorry,” Lena apologizes. “I—I should’ve paid more attention to where I was going. I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

There was really only one question on Lena’s mind in that moment in time. “Why did you invite me out here tonight?”

Kara blinks and is silent for several moments as they continue to walk arm and arm. “I don’t really know. All I know is that I wanted to see you again.”

Lena smiles, thankful that she was no longer able to blush. “You were going to see me in a few days.”

“Yeah, but still.”

Kara stops in her tracks and Lena follows suit. Her senses were immediately on high alert, but they were quelled with a look from Kara. “Even though we’ve only known each other for a short period of time, you’ve quickly become an important person in my life. My stance on you has completely changed and I’m so incredibly thankful that I emailed you back.”

Embarrassed, Lena looks down at her feet. “I’m thankful you did, too. I also care a great deal about you. It’s…it’s been a long while since the last time I’ve said that about anyone, but I’m really glad it’s you.”

Kara smiles and licks her lips as she takes a deep breath. “Can I…can I try something?”

Lena nods unconsciously, and suddenly Kara is slowly leaning in, her face inching closer and closer to Lena’s. Lena’s eyes widen, but close as she moves to meet Kara halfway, her nonexistent heart hammering against her sternum. Just before they could meet, however, Kara’s phone rings, and the werewolf grimaces. “I’m so sorry,” she says when she looks at the caller ID. “I really have to take this.” She presses the button to answer the call, and Lena does her best to avert her hyperactive hearing elsewhere; nevertheless, she did get the feeling that whoever was calling Kara was pissed and even a bit frantic. Maybe it was her sister or her mother. Kara finishes the call a few minutes later after repeatedly reassuring whoever was on the other line that she was okay and turns to Lena with a regretful expression on her face. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

“It’s okay,” Lena says. “Maybe we can continue this another time.”

Kara smiles a smile that cuts right through Lena’s skin. “I would like that very much. Thank you for coming out.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Before Kara turns around to leave, she leans in and places a kiss on Lena’s cheek. “Next time,” she says, and then she’s racing through the woods at incredible speed.

Stunned, Lena reaches up and touches her cheek, and for the first time in years, she feels truly warm.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara is practically flying through the woods, high off the ecstasy that was permeating through her entire body. What she was feeling couldn’t be described in words; all she knew is that she liked Lena. Like, _really_ liked Lena. The realization almost made her trip over her own feet, but it was true. She liked Lena, and she really hoped that they would be given the chance to explore these feelings, because she has an inkling that Lena might feel the same way about her, which made Kara all the more giddy as she burst through the front door of Eliza’s cottage. “I’m back!” she yelled. “I’m okay. I’m safe. I am in one piece, so you don’t need to freak out. Alex? Eliza?” Kara makes her way through the kitchen and into the living room, where her adoptive family was sitting in front of the television set. Alex’s entire body was coiled like a spring while Eliza was dabbing her face with tissues. Immediately, Kara tensed up. “Guys, what’s going on?” Her question was answered by the headline that was on screen, and her heart ceased to beat for several minutes.

**LEX LUTHOR ESCAPED FROM PRISON NOW ON THE RUN.**


	12. Uncaged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena freezes once more, her eyes locked on that name. It’s not that she didn’t want to listen to Kara’s voice again, it’s that she couldn’t. She didn’t want to face the music just yet, to hear the pure hatred that was sure to be in Kara’s regularly honey-sweet voice; she couldn’t. Just then, there was a knock on her door, and her fangs popped out with a hiss. 
> 
> Who was it?
> 
> Was it Lex?
> 
> Was he here to finally kill her? 
> 
> \-------
> 
> Lena learns of Lex's escape, but is the prime suspect in helping him to. Luckily, she has someone in her corner this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Pirina/Kakashi-Chidori and fishingwild for reviewing this beforehand! Y'all are the best!!!!

Lena wakes up feeling better than she has in years.

She feels refreshed, the sun feeling warm on her skin as it shone through her window—just as warm as Kara’s jacket wrapped around her did last night—and she feels full inside. Lena decides to take her time to get ready for work, taking a longer shower and putting on her makeup slowly and precisely. It wasn’t until she was about to walk out the door when she notices that something was off. Her ears perk up at a strange buzzing sound that was coming from below, so Lena walks over to her window to investigate. Her brow furrows when she sees a large group of people gathered at the base of her building shouting various things; her ears picked up things about Lex, which sent her instincts into overdrive. She walks over to her television set and turns it on, her jaw clenching and her eyes stinging when she saw the headline she had been dreading to see ever since her big brother was arrested.

**LEX LUTHOR ESCAPED FROM PRISON NOW ON THE RUN.**

Lena’s body runs cold, colder than it usually does, as the remote falls from her hand and lands with a loud thud on the hardwood floor. Several questions and feelings were racing through her and crashing into each other rending her body immobile.

How did Lex escape? That was the most important question. He was in a maximum-security prison; guards practically outnumbered the prisoners. And while Lex was built well physically, there was no way he could’ve taken on all of those guards by himself. He was an intellect—a psychotic intellect, but an intellect nonetheless—not a fighter. But however it happened, Lex was now no longer behind bars and the first person he would be coming for was Lena.

She had to leave.

She had to leave _now_.

Once Lena was able to move her body again, she pulls her phone out of her purse to call Jess, to tell her that she was going to be taking a few days off until she can figure out what to do next, but she sees several missed calls and voicemails from one person.

Kara.

Lena freezes once more, her eyes locked on that name. It’s not that she didn’t want to listen to Kara’s voice again, it’s that she couldn’t. She didn’t want to face the music just yet, to hear the pure hatred that was sure to be in Kara’s regularly honey-sweet voice; she couldn’t. Just then, there was a knock on her door, and her fangs popped out with a hiss.

Who was it?

Was it Lex?

Was he here to finally kill her?

Lena sniffs the air, relaxing slightly when she didn’t detect her brother’s scent. After turning off the TV, she goes to answer the door, where two women she didn’t recognize were standing in the hallway.

“Lena Luthor?” the taller, blonde woman asks.

“Who wants to know?”

“NCPD. I’m Detective Renee Montoya and this is my partner Maggie Sawyer.” The women flaunt their badges. “We’re here to ask you a few questions regarding a break-out that occurred at Van Kull Maximum Security Prison last night.”

Lena fights the urge to groan. And to think her day started off quite serenely. “I know what you’re here to talk to me about. I don’t know where Lex is nor do I want to know. If that’s all, officers, I need to be on my way as I’m late for work.”

“This won’t take long,” the shorter brunette says. “May we come in?”

Lena begrudgingly allows the detectives into her apartment. “Would either of you like something to drink?”

“Nah, that’s okay,” Sawyer says. “Like I said, this won’t take long. Besides I don’t think I would want what you have to offer.”

Lena furrows her brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“When was the last time you saw the escapee?”

Lena clenches her jaw and folds her arms across her chest. “I visited him about a month ago.”

“What was the reason for your visit?”

“My friend told me that visiting him might provide closure for me,” Lena states, grimacing. “Which sounds as dumb as it was. It was the first time I had seen him since he went crazy. It was…it was quite terrifying.”

“I can imagine,” Montoya says sympathetically. “You said before that you don’t know where he is, but do you have an idea as to where he would go?”

Lena scoffs. “If he was smart, he’d go out of the country. He’s got safe-houses all over the world.”

“We’ve got people scouring the airports as we speak,” Sawyer states. “If he tries to fly out of here, we’ll know.”

“Have you asked Lillian about any of this?”

“Lillian Luthor?” Sawyer nods. “She was actually the first suspect on our list seeing as she was the only other one besides yourself to visit Lex and the only one to visit multiple times.”

“You seriously think I’m a suspect?”

Sawyer shrugs. “I find it hard to believe that a Supernatural would break the most notorious murderer of Supernaturals out of jail even if they are related.”

If Lena had a beating heart, it surely would’ve stopped and dropped into the pit of her stomach at Sawyer’s nonchalant statement. “What—”

“I know you’re a Supernatural, Ms. Luthor,” Sawyer says with a small smirk. “It’s quite obvious, actually.”

“I don’t…I don’t understand.”

Sawyer’s eyes morphed into reptilian ones, shining a bright gold. Suddenly, it clicked. “You’re one too,” Lena says in awe. “You’re a dragon.”

“One of three in the city and the only one in law enforcement,” Sawyer says with pride. “I have an incredible ability at sniffing out baddies, so it seemed like the route to go.”

“If that’s the case, then you know I have nothing to hide.”

Sawyer shakes her head. “That may be the case, Ms. Luthor, but I bring up the fact that you are a vampire because a vampire helped Lex escape.”

“What?”

“His cell door was completely torn off its hinges,” Montoya says pointedly. “And several of the guards were completely drained of blood.”

“Like I said, it doesn’t make any sense as to why a vampire would help someone like Lex Luthor,” Sawyer says with a shake of her head, “but we can’t ignore the evidence.”

“I don’t care what your evidence says,” Lena growls, clenching her fists to keep the rest of her body from trembling. “It wasn’t me. I was nowhere near the prison last night.”

“Where were you then?”

Lena closes her mouth, not wanting to drag Kara into this mess. The vampire had done enough already.

“Well, if you can’t answer that, we’re going to have to take you in.” Montoya says as she pulls out a pair of handcuffs.

Lena winces slightly as she puts them on. “Does it have to be like this? I’m innocent.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Luthor,” Sawyer says. “But the evidence is stacked against you.”

With that, Lena was led out of her apartment and onto the street, where a crowd of screaming people was waiting for blood.

Her blood.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------

 

Despite her advanced hearing abilities, Lena is only able to hear deafening silence in the small interrogation room Montoya and Sawyer had placed her in several hours ago. The room felt as if it was closing in on her as Lena willed herself not to break down; while Sawyer and Montoya knew her secret, she couldn’t be sure if the whole department knew or not. But that might not matter now. Everyone saw her being dragged out of her building in handcuffs, so they knew—or at least thought—she had something to do with Lex’s escape. Her secret would soon become public knowledge if it wasn’t already. Lena closes her eyes and grits her teeth to keep herself from crying, but the image of Kara that pops up in her mind makes it extremely hard to do so. All she could think about was the werewolf; she must’ve seen or at least heard about what went down today. What was worse is that Kara’s former beliefs about Lena would be reaffirmed to be true in her eyes. Lena could feel the blue eyes on her, burning her skin as they morphed from blue to gold, Kara’s fangs lunging for her throat as a knock sounded on the door.

“You’re free to go.”

Lena turns around to see Sawyer standing in the doorway and blinks. “I—I’m sorry?”

“You’re free to go,” the detective repeats. “Someone vouched for you on your whereabouts last night, which means we can no longer keep you here without further evidence.”

“But the guards?”

Sawyer shrugs. “Looks like we’re looking for a different vampire.”

Another crowd had gathered outside of the police station, so Sawyer led Lena out the back where the former said her ride would be waiting. Lena is about to ask what they meant by that when she sees her. Kara was standing in front of a beat-up cab, wearing ripped jeans and a large hoodie and a look of concern on her face. Before Lena could do or say anything, the blonde steps forward and wraps her arms around Lena, making it almost impossible to keep herself from crying. “Why—why are you here?” Lena manages to choke out.

“I saw the news,” Kara says softly. “When I got home after our meet-up last night, I saw that Lex had escaped. Then when I woke up this morning, I saw that you had been arrested. I…I didn’t know what to think.”

“You must’ve thought I was guilty.”

Kara shakes her head. “I knew you were innocent, so I came straight here. Do you want to go back home?”

Lena shakes her head vehemently. Lex would definitely be coming after her, and her apartment would be the first place he would strike.

“Okay, okay. Why don’t we go to my place then? We’ll get you cleaned up and all, yeah?”

Lena nods and the two head to Kara’s smaller, but homier apartment, something that Lena would’ve found charming if she wasn’t so stuck in her head at the moment. Kara goes to order some takeout while Lena showers off the horrible day she’s had. Standing under the scalding water, Lena wishes that it would just melt her flesh off, disintegrate her bones until there was nothing left of her. Lex wouldn’t stop until she was dead…

“Lena. Are you okay?”

The sound of Kara’s voice brings Lena back to reality, so she gets out of the shower and dries off. Upon entering Kara’s room, she sees that a pair of pyjamas have been laid out for her on Kara’s bed. “Kara, you really didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to. I want to help, Lena.”

Lena smiles sadly. “This is more than enough. Thank you.”

Kara nods and smiles herself as Lena quickly gets changed before they eat their food in silence. Later, they’re curled up on the couch, Kara stroking Lena’s hair as the latter tries to calm down. Being in Kara’s presence helps tremendously, and Lena could feel herself being lulled to sleep…that is until Kara speaks.

“I have to go.”

Lena blinks herself awake as Kara continues. “The moon will be rising soon and my family will be expecting me, but I promise I will be back here first thing tomorrow.”

“What happened to resting?”

Kara shifts so they’re facing each other and cups Lena’s face in her hands. “This is more important. You are more important.” She leans forwards and leaves a lingering kiss on Lena’s temple. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Lena nods as Kara gives her one more kiss before leaving. Surprisingly enough, she doesn’t cry, even though everything in her body is urging her to do so. Instead, she gets up off the couch and walks back into Kara’s bedroom, tucking herself in even though the sun had only started to go down. The sheets smelled and felt of Kara, and Lena revels in their welcoming warmth, relieved that Kara was still with her, still on her side and believed in her.

It takes her a while to fall asleep, but when she does, it’s with a mixture of content and the realization that Kara’s jacket was still back at her apartment.


	13. So What Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena get closer as their investigation into who helped Lex escape begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @fishinwild @kakashi-chidori and @nerdyninja for reviewing this beforehand!! Love y'all so much!!!

Lena awoke with a violent start, her fists balling the sheets as she shakily exhaled the remnants of her nightmare out. Dark red tears spilled out of the corners of her eyes while she looks around frantically. Lex was just here; he was standing above her with a wicked, bloody grin on his face as he drove a stake through her still heart. Lena could still feel the wood moving around in her chest and it made her want to hurl. The panic began to rise again when she doesn’t recognize where she is; once she realizes she’s at Kara’s, she relaxes slightly. Throwing off the covers, Lena headed into the bathroom to wash the blood off of her face. Her mind was still wired and her body was still shaking a bit, but splashing the cold water on her face helped to quell both. Though it was unnecessary, Lena took a shuddering breath. The events of yesterday were starting to get to her, but Lena couldn’t let them. She had to stay strong.

She had to stay strong.

Her fangs began to itch and a deep thirst brewed within her. When was the last time she ate? Lena couldn’t remember, but she knew that she needed blood and she needed blood _now_. She stalked into the kitchen, knowing that Kara wouldn’t have any blood on her for obvious reasons but she needed something to hold her over until she could get some in her system. Lena opened the fridge to discover, to her disgust, several boxes of leftover takeout and pizza, all of which smelled so rank that made Lena want to vomit.

And her stomach was no longer functioning anymore so that was a feat in and of itself.

Growling in frustration at finding nothing suitable to eat, Lena sulked over to the living room and plopped down on the couch. She stared at the blank screen of the television, not even bothering to turn it on; the news stations would still be covering the great escape of Lex Luthor, and Lena didn’t want or need to be reminded of that. It was still so surreal that this was all happening. Her insane older brother had broken out of prison, and with the supposed help of a vampire no less, and that part in particular left Lena all sorts of confused. Why would a vampire help Lex? Where did this vampire come from? How did Lex know a vampire besides Lena herself?

All these questions with no answers made Lena’s head spin. She growls and puts her head in her hands, praying to whatever power was at play to wake her up from this cruel, cruel dream.

Just then, the door to the apartment opened and Lena shot up from her position, fangs bared and ready to defend herself from attack, to see Kara slump in with two bags in her hands.

“Hey,” the werewolf huffed as she slouched against the door. Kara looked absolutely exhausted. Her face was red and sweaty, her hair was greasy and pulled together in a messy ponytail, and Lena could hear the frantic beating of her heart and see the way her body was shaking. Her eyes widened and she walked over quickly to Kara.

“Oh my God, Kara, are you okay?”

The werewolf nodded. “I got…I got some food for us while…while I was out.” She holds up the bags, albeit weakly. “Cinnamon rolls for me and…and fresh blood for you.”

Lena’s eyes darted to the bag of blood, swiping it out of Kara’s hand and sinking her teeth into it, greedily draining it of its contents. Her stomach filled with the liquid and her hunger faded greatly with each gulp, and she was completely satisfied by the time she finished drinking. Lena opens her eyes to see Kara looking at her amused. “You got something right…right there.” She points to her chin and Lena’s hand shoots up to her own to wipe away the stray blood, but Kara hands her a napkin.

“Where did you get this?”

“The butcher shop in Midvale,” Kara explains, placing the other bag on the island and taking a greedy bite out of one of the pastries. “I, uh, I helped the owner with a problem a few years back, so now I get a discount.”

Lena laughs lightheartedly. “Thank you. You really didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. I didn’t know when the last time you ate was, so I decided to get some once I Shifted back.”

“Speaking of, please tell me you got some rest after.”

Kara grinned sheepishly and Lena’s jaw dropped.

“Kara Danvers! What were you thinking?”

“That you needed blood and company after what happened yesterday!”

“Well, you need to rest _now_.”

“But—”

“No but’s! Shower. Bed. In that order. Go.”

Kara sighs in defeat as she heads to the bathroom. Lena throws the blood bag away and puts the rest of the cinnamon rolls in the fridge to keep them fresh. Afterwards, she goes back over to the couch and lays down, thinking that she could try and relax some more while Kara rested. However, that didn’t exactly happen.

“Lena?”

Lena sat up and turned to see Kara wearing fresh pyjamas and sporting wet hair standing in the hallway. “What are you doing out here?”

“Trying to clear my mind and relax. Why aren’t you resting?”

Kara shifted from slippered foot to slippered foot. “I…I was wondering if you wanted to…sleep with me.”

Lena’s eyes widened as Kara realized what she said and worked to backtrack. “I—I didn’t mean like _sleep_ with me, I meant that you—I—we…ugh…”

“Kara, I know what you meant,” Lena interrupted, smiling. “And if that will make you feel better, I will.”

“I just…I know you’ve been having crap thrown at you all day yesterday and I don’t want you to feel alone.”

“I really appreciate that, Kara. Thank you. Now I think it’s time for you to get some proper rest.”

Kara nods and the two head into Kara’s bedroom and crawl under the latter’s sheets. The werewolf immediately fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, and Lena chuckled to herself softly. Kara never ceased to surprise her; the fact that Kara had skipped a post-Shift rest to pick up blood for her definitely made Lena feel something…and it was a _good_ something. She smiled. Lex was the last person who truly cared about her, at least until he found out her secret, so it was really strange to have someone else do the same. Nevertheless, it felt amazing, and Lena was determined not to screw this up again.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Lena opened her eyes to a sun-filled room and a blonde werewolf lying on top of her. Lena went completely still. Kara must’ve moved sometime while they were both sleeping because now her cheek was resting on Lena’s shoulder and the vampire could feel her breath on her neck. Lena tried to disentangle herself from Kara’s limbs, but the latter tightened her hold and pulled Lena back in. Kara’s lips gently brushed the skin of Lena’s neck and Lena stiffened. Her heart would’ve surely spiked at the contact if it was still functioning, but it wasn’t the contact that made her nervous, but the memory of a similar one that occurred just last night when Kara kissed her on the cheek. It certainly wasn’t just a friendly kiss, and Lena was strangely okay with that. There was no denying that she deeply cared for Kara and that Kara cared for her as well, but Lena would’ve been satisfied if they had remained friends. But this…Lena hadn’t felt like this about anyone since Veronica, and even then she still wasn’t sure if those feelings were completely real, but her feelings for Kara _were_ real, as real the werewolf cuddling her right now. Lena wanted to try this, to see where this could go, but she was terrified especially now that her brother was out there somewhere.

Nevertheless, Lena swore to herself that no harm would come to Kara, not if she had something to say about it.

Speaking of, Kara awoke not too long after Lena and only at the sound of her bellowing stomach. Her drowsy eyes met Lena’s, snapping wide as she realized what she was doing. “Oh my God!” Kara cried, pushing herself up off of Lena and covering her mouth in shock. “Oh my God, Lena, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean…”

“Kara, it’s okay,” Lena said reassuringly, but the werewolf was unconvinced.

“I was all up in your personal space, which I didn’t mean to do. God, I’m such an idiot, but I didn’t want you to be alone after what happened yesterday, and… _fuck_ , I’m a restless sleeper and I know that and should’ve told you that but I was so tired, my brain wasn’t functioning properly, but then you said yes and all I could think about was—”

“Kara!”

Kara ceased her rambling under Lena’s gaze. “Uh, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Lena said softly, reaching and taking Kara’s hand in her own to give it a comforting squeeze. “You don’t have to apologize. I…I didn’t really mind.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “You didn’t?”

Lena shook her head, shocked at the truth of her statement as well. “Waking up next to you after the ordeal that was yesterday was really nice.”

Kara’s lips morphed into a shy smile and her cheeks blushed a bright pink. “I’m, uh, I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thank you for letting me stay here.”

“Of course, Lena. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude—”

“You’re not, I promise.” Kara gives Lena’s hand a squeeze. “Like I said, I want to help.”

Lena smiled weakly as she blinked back the coming crimson tears. She didn’t want to ruin Kara’s sheets. “There is something else.”

“What is it?”

Lena bit her lip. “When we were both in Midvale, you said you wanted to try something.”

Kara’s blush deepened. “Yeah…”

“And then you tried to kiss me.”

Kara sheepishly looked down at her and Lena’s joined hands, but she didn’t reply. Lena grinned smugly as she heard the blonde’s heartbeat grow faster and faster. “If I remember correctly, we were rudely interrupted, so…I was wondering if you wanted to try again.”

Kara’s heart was racing now, so much so that Lena was worried that it was going to break her sternum, but Kara looked up with a look of surprise in her eyes. “You…you want…do you want me to?”

Lena nodded; she hadn’t felt more sure about anything in her life. The next thing she knew, Kara was leaning in and soft lips met hers, and Lena could’ve sworn she felt her heart leap.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

 

Neither Kara nor Lena woke up until much later in the afternoon, wrapped up in each other’s limbs, when the former’s stomach began to bellow. They both went into the kitchen to finish off the cinnamon rolls when they noticed that the both of them had several missed calls.

“Yes, Jess, I’m fine.”

“James, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m out of town at the moment.”

“I…got sick.”

“I’ll be back in a few days, but for now just cancel everything on my schedule for the next week. I’ll work them in later. Go ahead and take a break for yourself, Jess. You’ve more than deserved it.”

“I am too sick! Shifting takes a lot out of me, you know. I’ll be back tomorrow, I promise.”

After giving their coworkers enough excuses to fill a house, they turned to look at each other and laughed.

“You got sick?” Lena mocked. “Really?”

“I couldn’t think of anything else!” Kara exclaimed. “I’m a really bad liar.”

“That’s not a bad thing, dear. If anything, it’s quite comforting.”

“It is?”

Lena nodded. “You’re an honest person, Kara, and that is one of the many things that I greatly admire about you. I can’t say that about a lot of the people in my life.”

“I’m so sorry, Lena.”

“It’s okay,” Lena said. “I have you now and that’s more than enough.”

Kara managed a small smile as the blush slowly crept up her neck. “I can say all that about you.”

Now it was Lena’s turn to smile. God, if her heart was beating right now. “How are you feeling?”

“Feeling?”

“You Shifted not too long ago, so…how are you feeling?”

“Oh!” Kara’s cheeks reddened further. “I’m feeling okay. A little sore, but that’s nothing new. What about you? How are you feeling?”

“I’m, uh, I’m alright.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Kara asked, placing a comforting hand on Lena’s knees, her worried expression nearly causing Lena to choke up. Lena shook her head. “You’ve done more than enough, and I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you.”

“You don’t have to,” Kara said. “I want to help. You mean a lot to me, and I swear to you Lex won’t ever come near you again. I won’t let him.”

Lena shook her head. “He’s a lot more dangerous than you realize.”

“I’m well aware of how dangerous he is,” Kara growled lowly. “I just want to stop him before he hurts any more people.”

“As do I, but I have no idea where he is.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “Is there anything you do know that could help?”

“Well…when Officers Sawyer and Montoya came by my place yesterday, they told me that Lex allegedly escaped with the help of a vampire.”

Kara’s eyes widened significantly. “Are you serious?”

“I’m telling you what they told me. I still don’t believe it myself.”

“They knew you were a vampire?”

Lena nodded.

“Huh.” Kara sat in silent contemplation for several minutes. “Do you know any other vampires in National City?”

“None. I knew a few back in Metropolis, but…” Lena paused. “I’ve dropped contact with them ages ago, but none of them would’ve helped Lex. Even before his descent into insanity, they hated his guts.”

Kara nodded. “Lucky for you, I do happen to know a few vampires in the city, and am actually close with one.” She pulled out her phone and began to type.

“What are you planning?” Lena inquired, one of her brows raised.

“I’m arranging a meeting with my friend at her place of business tonight.”

Lena swallowed nervously. “Tonight?”

“Yup! We’re nipping this thing in the bud.”

“Kara, I’m not ready for anyone to know I’m a vampire.”

Kara turned to look up at Lena, her big blue eyes filled with a genuine softness that instantly calmed her. “I understand and I’m so sorry for not thinking of that. I can go alone if you want to stay here.”

Lena shook her head vigorously. “No, no. I’ll come with you. I just…I know I can’t stand around and wait anymore.”

Kara nodded. “Okay.” Her phone buzzed and Kara smiled upon seeing who it was. “That’s her. Meeting’s on. You still want to go?”

Everything in Lena was screaming no, but that wasn’t what came out of her mouth. “Yes.”

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Lena was sure her heart would’ve burst through her chest if it were still functioning, she was so nervous. She and Kara were in line outside a club called First Bite, a place that seemed oddly familiar to Lena, but she couldn’t quite place it; of course, this made her all the more anxious. Those nerves faded a little as Kara took her hand, but they were still there, making her whole body shake.

“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Kara asked as they made their way to the front door of the establishment. Lena nodded, and Kara squeezed her hand comfortingly, which Lena was thankful for. They finally made their way to the front of the line and Kara gave the doorman their names. He nodded and led them into the club himself, navigating them through a loud dance floor where people were jumping and shouting along to the ear-bleeding music. As they were being led to the back of the club, however, some of the patrons began giving them strange looks, some of them even hostile. Lena kept her head down, but Kara gave her hand another comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry,” the werewolf said, Lena’s ears able to understand what she was saying despite the deafening music. “They’re not looking at you. They’re looking at me.”

Lena furrowed her brow as to why when she quickly realized what this place actually was. Other than Kara, no one in this place had a heartbeat. Lena looked up and saw some of their eyes shining blood-red, their bodies completely devoid of sweat despite dancing feverishly. There was also a faint smell of iron permeating the place, and Lena noticed that several of the people were bearing sharp teeth as they screamed their praise.

This was a vampire club.

Some of the vampires began snarling at Kara, and Lena felt her own fangs pushing against her lips. She had half a mind to snarl back, to jump in front of Kara and to protect her, but they reached the room before Lena could do so. The man opened the door and ushered them inside, where a woman with short, dark hair is sitting behind a large desk and writing in an even larger book. Two large men stood on either side of the woman, their eyes just as red, and they growled lowly once Kara entered the room, their bodies ready as if to attack. Lena mimicked their position and bared her fangs; there was no way in hell that they were getting their hands on Kara.

“Easy, boys,” the woman said, not looking up from her writing. “She’s a friend.” She finally looked up, her eyes shining blood red as she gave them a friendly smile. “Kara Danvers. It has been way too long.”

“That it has,” Kara said as the woman gets up from behind her desk and embraces her. “We need to get together soon.”

“That we do.”

As she watched the two women embrace again, Lena couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

“So who is this?”

Kara moved back to Lena’s side, which Lena was grateful for. “This is Lena. Lena, this is Lucy.”

“Lucy Lane,” the woman greeted, holding out her hand. “Owner of the club. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I mean it’s always a pleasure to meet another vampire.”

Stunned, Lena turned angrily towards Kara. “You told her?”

“She didn’t tell me anything. Your lack of a heartbeat was more than a dead giveaway.” Lucy folded her arms in front of her chest, keeping her smile all the while. “You have nothing to worry about. We take care of our own here, so you’re safe here. So what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

Kara and Lena exchanged a look. “We’re here to ask you about the escape of Lex Luthor.”

Lucy bristled. “I saw the news, but I don’t know how I could possibly help you with that.”

“The police said a vampire helped Lex escaped,” Lena said, and Lucy’s eyes widened.

“A vampire? First off, that is next to impossible. Vampires despise the eldest Luthor, especially after what he did to Roulette. Besides, I’m pretty sure the police won’t be happy with you sharing this information seeing as I haven’t heard anything like this until now.”

“Do you know anything about it?” Lena inquired. “Maybe one of your…people out there knows something.”

Lucy clenched her jaw but shook her head. “I know nothing about this, and certainly no one from my coven knows anything about it.”

“How are you sure?”

“My coven convenes here every night. See that book right there?” She pointed to her desk. “That’s a ledger with ever single member’s name written inside, and I know every single member by name. They were all here the night Lex escaped, you can check, for fear of their own safety.”

Lena nodded, folding her arms across her chest and looking down in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Lucy said.

“Well…I hate to ask this, Luce, but do you know if any of your coven had any contact with Lex?”

“They don’t. Like I said, ever since what happened with Roulette, all of vampire-kind has wanted Lex six feet under.”

“Who’s Roulette?” Kara asked, and Lena tensed up, not wanting Kara to know just yet.

“I think the question we should be asking is why a vampire would help Lex in the first place,” Lena cut in before Lucy could answer.

Lucy shrugged. “Well, whoever did has signed their death warrant?”

“Death warrant?” Lena asked.

Lucy laughed. “There’s a lot you don’t know about vampire culture. Basically, if a vampire betrays his or her coven by helping the enemy, their fate is left up to their coven. More often than not, they’re sentenced to death, and a rather painful one at that.”

Lena’s eyes went wide as Kara grimaced. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?”

“It’s our way of life,” Lucy countered.

“Do you think we can speak to the other coven leaders, then?” Kara asked. “Maybe they know something.”

Lucy shook her head vigorously. “That would be impossible. Ever since Lex escaped, they’ve all gone underground, making it difficult to get in contact with them. I’m the only one here who has any balls, apparently.”

“Is there anything you can help us with?”

“I’m sorry,” Lucy said. “But my hands are tied.”

Kara and Lena look at each other before turning back to Lucy. “Well, thank you for meeting with us, Luce. We appreciate it.”

“Of course, Kara, anytime. Hey, Lena, wait up a bit.”

Worried, Kara stopped and looked at Lena. Lena swallowed nervously, but told Kara to go ahead, that she would be fine. Once she was alone with Lucy, Lena turned back to the other vampire.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Lucy said. “But I want you to know that there’s always a place for you here. There always has been and there always will be.”

Lena furrowed her brow. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘always has been’?”

“I thought I recognized you when you walked in, but it didn’t fully click until I mentioned Roulette’s name.” Lena tensed up again. “See? You tensed up again. You knew her.”

“You could say that,” Lena spoke through gritted teeth.

Lucy hummed. “Well, I won’t press any further, but if you need anyone to talk to about that, I’m here. I knew Roulette when she owned this place and she taught me a lot of the ropes, so…here take this.” Lucy went behind her desk and pulled out a dark-colored bottle. “For your troubles. On the house.”

Lena took the bottle from Lucy, her fangs itching at the iron smell emanating from it. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

“Like I said, we look out for our own. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Lena nodded her thanks before making her leave. She found Kara outside the club, the werewolf looking incredibly anxious until she saw Lena and hurried up to her. “What was all that about? Did Lucy give you anything?”

Lena opened her mouth to respond, but she just shook her head. “Besides this bottle of blood, nothing. The question is what we’re going to do now. We’ve just hit a dead end.”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Kara cups Lena’s face with her hands, her blue eyes locked onto her green ones. “I promise you we will find something. We’ll figure this out, okay?”

Lena nodded. “Okay.”

Lena’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to check it, her brow knitting together when she saw several missed calls from the same unknown number.

“Whoa,” Kara said. “What’s that about?”

“I’m about to find out.” Lena pressed the call button, her foot tapping anxiously as she waited for the other line to pick up.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Hello, this is Lena Luthor. I’m sorry to have missed your calls—”

“ _Oh, thank God, Ms. Luthor! I’ve been trying to reach you all night!_ ”

“May I ask who you are?”

“ _My name is Patricia Arias, Samantha’s mother. Something’s wrong._ ”

Lena was instantly on edge. “What’s wrong?”

“ _It’s Samantha. She’s gone missing._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave a comment if you want!!
> 
> If you want, you can follow me at its-danigobingo-world.tumblr.com and we can cry about Supercorp together and be friends!


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